Harry Downs

Harry Downs is Of Counsel to the firm of CROWLEY CLARIDA & HEAD LLP, Suite 500, 900 Circle 75 Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339. He practices in the litigation and construction areas and brings the firm extensive trial and construction-related experience.

Mr. Downs spent most of his legal career as general counsel of the Engineering and Construction Division of Ashland, Inc. In addition to his managerial responsibilities, he directed the representation of the Ashland Engineering companies in prosecuting or defending major litigation, including development and implementation of litigation strategies and selecting, engaging, and managing teams of lawyers and technical experts. He handled major litigation matters including defense of an $800-million lawsuit arising out of a complex engineering construction project and prosecution of a related $80-million lawsuit against a CGL carrier; defense of asbestos litigation involving about 6,000 claimants in some 20 states; defense against a nationwide antitrust prosecution involving multi-state federal criminal antitrust proceedings, federal, state and local bid debarment proceedings and related state, local and private treble-damage actions; and arbitration of an $8-million construction dispute arising out of a complex power plant construction project. He also handled all the Division's labor work, including representation elections, unfair labor practice charges, contract negotiations, wage and hour claims, and EEO-employment discrimination matters. He made numerous acquisitions for Ashland ranging up to several million dollars in value, and disposed of several Ashland-owned entities for a total consideration of nearly $100 million.

Mr. Downs also was for nearly ten years Of Counsel with the firm of Holland & Knight LLP, resident in the Atlanta office, practicing in the construction and litigation areas. He also was a management consultant on litigation strategies and served as an expert witness on legal fees in a major anti-trust action.

Mr. Downs has taught at Harvard, Emory and the University of Louisville Law Schools using case studies on negotiation and litigation of complex contracts, has guest lectured on professional responsibility at Harvard, and has taught trial tactics at Emory Law School (NITA program). He also has lectured on managerial strategies to both undergraduate and graduate business students at the Universities of Alabama and Georgia. He has served an an AAA arbitrator in construction disputes.

Mr. Downs is a member of the Georgia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts Bars. He also is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, several United States Courts of Appeal (including the Eleventh Circuit) and the United State District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia and for Massachusetts. He is the author of several articles in professional journals, including "Unlikely Abolitionist: Justice William Cushing and the Struggle Against Slavery," The Journal of Supreme Court History, Vol.29, No. 2 (2004); "Conscientious Conservative: Justice Benjamin Robbins Curtis and the Struggle Against Slavery," The Supreme Court Historical Society Quarterly, Vol. XXIV, No. 4 and Vol. XXV, No. 1 (2003 -2004); "Strategic Management of Complex Litigation: Reaching Objectives," Defense Counsel Journal (January 1992) and 5 Products Liability Newsletter 2 (1991) and "Judges, Law-Making and the Constitution: The Case Against Activism," 63 Judicature 9 (April 1980).

Mr. Downs received his B.S. from Iowa State University and earned his LL.B at Harvard Law School. He also attended the Harvard Law School Program of Instruction for Lawyers and the Harvard Business School Advanced Corporate Financial Management Program.