EXPERIENCED LITIGATOR AND COVERAGE COUNSEL:
Mr. Downes has practiced civil litigation since 1971. He is a civil litigator with a legacy of successful mediations, arbitrations and trials. Mr. Downes has successfully litigated numerous high-value cases, many of which were extremely complex, and many of which involved major coverage issues.
Mr. Downes has been continuously advising clients in California insurance matters for well over 25 years. He has been employed as an in-house attorney for General Accident Insurance Company, and Commercial Union/CGU/OneBeacon Insurance Company and One Beacon Insurance Company.
Mr. Downes extensive first chair jury trial experience in cases such as Kaufman & Broad v. Westlake Construction (six week construction defect case in San Diego) and Centralia Elementary School District v Southern California Modular have given him insights into the practical application of insurance policy provisions to the realities of courtroom practice.
*** Heavy trial experience;
*** Multiple first chair jury trial experience;
*** Construction defect jury trial experience;
*** Many winning arbitration awards;
*** Design defect litigation;
*** Construction litigation;
*** Multi-party complex litigation;
*** Auto cases;
*** Contractual indemnity defense;
*** Premises liability, slip and fall;
*** California public school law;
*** Real estate matters;
*** Class action litigation;
*** Governmental work and Labor work: Mr. Downes served as an
attorney with the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), and as
Assistant Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia, Law
Enforcement Division;
*** Served on a volunteer basis as Orange County Superior Court
Temporary Judge.
Above is just a sample of Mr. Downes’ litigation experience.
EDUCATION:
Mr. Downes earned his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown Law Center in Washington D. C., a “top 20” law school.[1] He worked his way through law school as a United States Capitol Police Officer.
Mr. Downes earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Seminars at which Mr. Downes has lectured:
Construction defect seminar for Gallagher Bassett’s Third Party Administrator
Office in Orange County, CA, October, 2010.
Topics on Which Mr. Downes Lectured
Jacobson & Associates sponsored and put on the seminar. The three
subjects covered were:
(a) California’s “Right to Repair” law, commonly called “SB 800”.
(b) “Special Answers” (Code of Civil Procedure section 428.70.) This tool should probably be used by all cross-defendants. Special Answers have been allowed by the Legislature since the 1970s; yet, they remain on the “cutting edge” of legal issues because lawyers have been ignoring them since the 1970s.
(c) Crawford v. Weather Shield 44 Cal.4th 541 (2008), and in particular ways to defeat its otherwise devastating effects on subcontractors and material suppliers.
Mr. Downes led the discussion on Crawford v. Weather Shield
44 Cal.4th 541 (2008), and significantly participated in the
discussions on the other topics.
AFFILIATIONS:
*** Member of the California State Bar
*** President, Whatcom County Washington Bar Association (Ret.)
*** 1st Lieutenant, United States Air Force Reserve (Ret.)
*** Member, United States Capitol Police Force, Washington D. C.
(Ret.)
*** Attorney, NLRB, Region 21, Los Angeles (Ret.)
*** Arcadia California Chamber of Commerce
*** San Juan Tug & Barge Co. Corporate Secretary (Ret.)