Global law firm Hogan Lovells announced today that Jason Downs, who served as Chief Deputy Attorney General (AG) for the District of Columbia during the tenure of former D.C. AG Karl Racine, has joined as a partner in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. Downs joins from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where he co-chaired the firm’s State Attorneys General practice group, as well as Brownstein’s Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) group.
Downs is an impressive first-chair trial lawyer who regularly engages with government enforcement agencies. His practice focuses on representing clients in State AG investigations, serving as external general counsel for Fortune 500 companies, and representing individuals who are members of management in white collar investigations.
Des Hogan, Practice Group Leader for the firm’s global Disputes practice group, said: “Jason is a great addition to our premier State AG practice, now led by former D.C. AG, Karl Racine. We’re extremely pleased to be reuniting this powerhouse team. In addition, Jason will play an important role in our global ESG practice, one of the strongest practices globally.”
In his role at the D.C. AG’s office, Downs managed all legal matters brought on behalf of, or against, the District of Columbia. In addition to managing the day-to-day matters of one of the top public law firms in America, Downs provided strategic leadership and direction on every enforcement action brought by the D.C. AG’s office – including multistate enforcement actions. Downs is experienced in matters involving antitrust, consumer protection, workers’ rights, and civil rights – among others. Prior to joining the D.C. AG’s office, Downs spent seven years at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, serving as lead counsel on 26 felony jury trials against federal prosecutors.
Racine said: “I am thrilled to welcome Jason to Hogan Lovells and team-together on State AG matters. When it comes to understanding the law and the pace at which State AG inquiries can quickly evolve into complex litigation – no one knows how to navigate this better than Jason. I am pleased to see the firm re-double its commitment to its State AG practice by building a critical bench of talented, experienced former State AG staff.”
Since entering private practice, Jason has served as lead counsel for clients facing enforcement actions from local, state, and federal government entities. He’s known for taking a creative approach to educating the State AG community on behalf of clients, and helping businesses understand the authority of State AG. He provides strategic advice on parallel civil and criminal investigations as well as civil rights audits. Some of his recent work includes helping Fortune 500 companies mitigate risk, improving equity in hiring and managing employees, and managing impact on consumers and the community.
Adam Levin, Practice Area Leader, Commercial Litigation – Americas said: “Jason has represented a number of leading companies in State AG and ESG matters, as well as related investigations and white collar cases. He’s a great addition to our practice, which represents clients in complex and bet-the-company disputes in courts across the country.”
LAE Partner Jason Downs said on joining the firm: “I’m really pleased to be joining Hogan Lovells, a firm that has such a strong reputation in the Washington, D.C. market, as well as an extensive global reach. I look forward to working with this incredibly talented group of lawyers and to offering effective solutions to solve our clients’ most complex problems.”
Ajay Kuntamukkala, Office Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. Office, said: “Jason is a pillar in the D.C. legal community, and we are excited to have him join our office. As one of Washington’s oldest and largest law firms, we continue to invest in this market. One of our priorities as a firm is the continued growth of our Washington office, which has long been one of the key economic engines of the firm.”
Downs earned his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Baltimore.