J. Anthony Downs
Areas of Practice
Tony Downs is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department and chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice. He has been with Goodwin Procter since 1988, and was elected a partner of the firm in 1994. Mr. Downs focuses in intellectual property litigation, with specialization in patent matters. He also has experience in antitrust/competition law, securities and other complex commercial litigation. Mr. Downs has represented individuals and entities in a wide variety of commercial disputes and business litigation. In addition, he has extensive trial experience and also regularly uses arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution procedures.
Work for Clients
In the area of patent and other intellectual property litigation, Mr. Downs has represented General Electric in a variety of matters, including defending GE in patent infringement cases involving remotely operated security systems, optical systems for evaluation of burner flames, and explosives detection equipment for airport security systems. In addition, he represents Cisco Systems, Inc. in several matters involving internet telephony routing equipment and methods, ATM switching devices and wireless routing systems. Mr. Downs represents Applied Materials Inc. in several matters involving semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing. He also works with Applied Materials and its affiliates on a worldwide patent litigation strategy for machinery used in the manufacturing of flat panel displays. Mr. Downs also represents clients in the life sciences and medical device industries. He has represented Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc., in a series of lawsuits enforcing Inverness’s patents in the area of rapid immunoassay tests. In these cases, Mr. Downs has won several preliminary injunctions against continued sales of infringing products and recently won a two-week jury trial for Inverness in Boston. He represents Boston Scientific in connection with patent litigation concerning devices for implanting occlusive coils in brain aneurysms. In addition, Mr. Downs has been involved in cases concerning electric power converters, micro-optical computer devices,...more » In the area of patent and other intellectual property litigation, Mr. Downs has represented General Electric in a variety of matters, including defending GE in patent infringement cases involving remotely operated security systems, optical systems for evaluation of burner flames, and explosives detection equipment for airport security systems. In addition, he represents Cisco Systems, Inc. in several matters involving internet telephony routing equipment and methods, ATM switching devices and wireless routing systems. Mr. Downs represents Applied Materials Inc. in several matters involving semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing. He also works with Applied Materials and its affiliates on a worldwide patent litigation strategy for machinery used in the manufacturing of flat panel displays. Mr. Downs also represents clients in the life sciences and medical device industries. He has represented Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc., in a series of lawsuits enforcing Inverness’s patents in the area of rapid immunoassay tests. In these cases, Mr. Downs has won several preliminary injunctions against continued sales of infringing products and recently won a two-week jury trial for Inverness in Boston. He represents Boston Scientific in connection with patent litigation concerning devices for implanting occlusive coils in brain aneurysms. In addition, Mr. Downs has been involved in cases concerning electric power converters, micro-optical computer devices, and imaging software. He has also represented a number of companies in copyright, trademark and trade secret disputes, including trans-border disputes involving litigation in the UK, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Netherlands. In other complex civil litigation, Mr. Downs represented Eli Lilly in unfair trade practice and RICO litigation arising out of fraud on the FDA by a generic drug manufacturer. He has also represented Digital Equipment Corporation in defending against an antitrust challenge to a warranty program offered on Alpha computers introduced by Digital in the mid-1990s. In the telecommunications area, Mr. Downs represented Cablevision in a federal court challenge under the Telecommunications Act to certain discriminatory practices adopted by the City of Boston in its regulation of access to underground conduits. He has also represented Wheelabrator Environmental Technologies, Inc. in a variety of commercial and antitrust litigation; various parties in a number of securities fraud class action lawsuits; and clients in First Amendment defamation/libel cases in a range of eminent domain matters and in cases involving constitutional and civil rights issues. In addition to his trial experience, Mr. Downs has considerable appellate experience. He has briefed or argued cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Federal Circuit, the First, Second and Ninth Circuits, and in various state appellate courts. less »
Professional Activities
Mr. Downs is a member of the American, Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations. He is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America.
Professional Experience
Mr. Downs served as a law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist at the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1987-1988 term. Prior to his clerkship at the Supreme Court, Mr. Downs served as a law clerk to Judge James L. Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1986-1987.
Bar and Court Admissions
Mr. Downs is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, and is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the First and Second Circuits, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Texas, the Northern District of Illinois, and the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He has also been admitted pro hac vice at various locations around the country. Mr. Downs has appeared in civil and criminal trial matters and pre-trial proceedings in Massachusetts, Texas, California, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Virginia, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida and elsewhere.
Education
J.D., University of Chicago Law School, 1986 (cum laude, Order of the Coif)
A.B., Princeton University, 1982 (magna cum laude)
While attending law school, Mr. Downs served as Executive Editor of the University of Chicago Law Review.
|