Mary Tovella Dowling

Mary Tovella Dowling

Tovella Dowling, PC • San Diego, CA
TaxCorporate GovernanceEmployment LawGeneral PracticeJoint Ventures

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Contact

Email
Phone
(619) 494-2534
Address
501 W Broadway Street, San Diego, CA, 92101, US

Professional

About

Ms. Dowling is the founder and Managing Attorney of Tovella Dowling, PC. Her practice focuses on providing counsel and guidance to tax exempt organization, donors, and entrepreneurs in the capacity of outside general counsel as they navigate the myriad legal issues facing modern tax-exempt entities and socially conscious businesses. Her current nonprofit and tax-exempt clients include a wide variety of public charities, private foundations, and other nonprofit organizations—from scientific and research-based organization, journalism and local newsrooms, museums, religious and faith-based organizations, and social welfare organizations to sports-based organizations, business leagues, educational institutions, and social clubs. As a passionate advocate for her clients at all stages of the nonprofit life cycle, she places a particular emphasis on corporate compliance, governance and tax matters, under federal, state, and local tax laws, beginning with entity formation and applications for federal and state exemption, and including such issues as unrelated business income planning, compliance with public support tests, property tax exemption, nonprofit corporate governance, contract drafting and negotiation, fundraising compliance, corporate compliance, and joint ventures. In addition to her representation of exempt organizations, Ms. Dowling represents social enterprises and other corporate clients in a wide variety of business pursuits and transactions, including business formation, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, dissolution, joint ventures, corporate compliance, and intellectual property. Ms. Dowling also serves as a trusted advisor to professional and commercial fundraisers advising on the ever-changing regulatory compliance inherent in the fundraising sector, as well as, providing strategic and creative counsel with regard to business, tax and regulatory compliance structuring. Ms. Dowling instills creativity, passion and collaboration in her everyday practice and thrives on being an integral part of a her client’s growth. From a litigation standpoint, Ms. Dowling has represented organizations, as well as donors, in various actions including labor and employment actions, governance and board disputes, enforcement of membership rights, wrongful removal and termination actions, breach of contract and misappropriation of charitable assets. When not practicing law, Ms. Dowling enjoys mentoring local law students that are interested in pursuing careers in public interest, and transactional law and spending time with her husband and their two daughters.

About Tax Law

Tax attorneys help individuals and businesses with tax planning, compliance, and disputes with tax authorities. They work to minimize tax liability and resolve IRS issues. Common matters include tax planning, irs audits, tax disputes, business tax.

Credentials

Education
N/A Thomas Jefferson SOL JD - Juris Doctor N/A Arizona St Univ BS - Bachelor of Science
Languages
English

Recognition & Involvement

Awards
2021 2021 Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Award Recipient, American Bar Association
Associations
2017 - Present North County Philanthropy Council Member 2014 - Present San Diego County Bar Association 2014 - Present Los Angeles County Bar Association 2014 - Present Riverside County Bar Association 2014 - Present American Bar Association
Speaking
2017 “Fundraising Legal Considerations” Fundraising 2017 “Do It Right From the Get Go - Legal Compliance Considerations” Nonprofit Legal Compliance 2017 Legal Compliance and Considerations Business Legal Considerations 2016 “Nuts and Bolts: How to Set Up a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization” Nonprofit Legal Compliance 2016 “Marketing With a Purpose” Cause Related Marketing
Updated: Mar 08, 2026
Mary Tovella Dowling | Tax Attorney in San Diego, CA | Law.AI