Philip F. Downey
Practice Areas
- Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights
- Energy and Utilities
- Environmental
- Financial Institutions
- Litigation
- Trusts, Estates, and Wealth Transfer
Industries
Education
- The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, J.D., 1988, Order of the Coif
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, B.A., 1985, Phi Beta Kappa
Bar & Court Admissions
Judicial Clerkships
- The Honorable J. Craig Wright, Ohio Supreme Court, 1988-1989
- The Honorable John D. Holschuh, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, 1989-1991
Phil is a partner in the Vorys Akron office in the litigation group. His practice focuses on oil and gas litigation, toxic tort litigation and litigation in a variety of areas including environmental, bankruptcy, probate, product liability and general contract and commercial litigation.
Career highlights include:
- Representing client in arbitration of contract dispute involving design and construction of plant emission control system
- Representing client in jury trial in contract dispute involving breach of environmental warranties
- Representing energy clients in litigation throughout eastern Ohio in matters involving the exploration and production of the Utica shale and other mineral resources
- Representing client before the Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission in appeal involving PSD air permit for cracker plant
- Serving as national coordinating counsel for a Fortune 500 company in toxic tort litigation
- Obtaining a jury verdict in excess of $14 million in a case brought by a non-profit organization against former trustees and officers
- Representing creditors and Chapter 11 debtors in bankruptcy reorganizations and adversary proceedings
- Pro Bono representation of veterans before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
- Participation in numerous jury trial, bench trial and arbitrations throughout Ohio
Phil is a member of the Akron and Ohio State Bar Associations.
Phil has presented seminars on trial practice, regulation of oil and gas development, and toxic tort litigation.
Honors & Awards
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2014, 2017-2018
- Ohio Super Lawyers, General Litigation, 2008, 2012-2015
- The Best Lawyers in America, Akron Bet-the-Company Litigation "Lawyer of the Year", 2014, 2017
- The Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2010-2021
- The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2007-2022
- The Best Lawyers in America, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2005-2007
- Fellow of the Columbus Bar Foundation since 1995
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
News
- 8/19/2021One hundred and sixteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 edition. In addition, 34 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 3/28/2017This year, 54 Vorys attorneys were listed in the 2017 Columbus CEO “Top Lawyers” List.
- 8/15/2016Fifteen Vorys attorneys have been named 2017 Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 12/3/2014Vorys is pleased to announce that 74 attorneys from the firm have been named 2015 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 12/4/2013Eighty-one attorneys from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP have been named 2014 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. 57 Vorys attorneys were named 2014 Ohio Super Lawyer and 24 Vorys attorneys were named 2014 Ohio Rising Stars.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 8/14/2013Ten Vorys attorneys from three offices have been named 2014 Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers. Each year, only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”
- 12/17/2012Seventy-Seven attorneys from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease have been named 2013 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 12/16/2011
- 9/6/2011
- 8/9/2010
- 8/4/2009
- 10/29/2008
- 9/19/2007
Events
- 6/10/2019Vorys Partners Phil Downey, Sheila Nolan Gartland and Mike Settineri presented at the 40th Annual Institute Energy & Mineral Law Foundation on June 10, 2019.
- 10/19/2018Vorys Partners Lisa Forbes and Phil Downey spoke to the Akron Bar Association's Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law Section on October 19, 2018. They presented on digital age considerations for probate practitioners.
- 10/17/2018Vorys attorneys Phil Downey, Mike Settineri and Wes Abrams presented at the Kentucky Mineral Law Conference in Lexington, Kentucky on October 17, 2018.
- 6/19/2018On June 19, 2018, Vorys attorneys Phil Downey and John Conley presented at the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation’s 39th Annual Institute.
- 4/26/2018Vorys Partners Lisa Babish Forbes and Phil Downey presented at the Ohio Association of Magistrates 2018 Spring Conference on April 26, 2018.
- 4/21/2017Vorys Partners Phil Downey and Lisa Forbes spoke on "Conflicts of Interest: Trust and Estate Administration" hosted by the Akron Bar Association on April 21, 2017.
- 12/9/2016Vorys attorneys Tim Cole, Phil Downey Heather Lutz, Emily Pan, Lindsay Spillman and Beth Weinewuth were speakers at a Trust and Estate Litigation presentation hosted by the Mahoning County Bar Association on December 9, 2016.
- 10/28/2016Vorys Partners Phil Downey and Lisa Babish Forbes were speakers at the Tuscarawas County Bar Association monthly meeting on October 28, 2016.
- 8/29/2016Vorys Partners Rodney Holaday and Phil Downey were speakers at the ILTACON 2016 Annual Educational Conference from August 28 - September 1, 2016.
- 2/19/2015Vorys partner Phil Downey was a speaker at Frac Law: From Land Contract Negotiations to Environmental Disputes CLE hosted by the National Business Institute on February 19, 2015.
- 12/5/2014Vorys attorneys Lisa Forbes and Phil Downey were speakers at the Tuscarawas County Bar Association CLE on December 5, 2014.
- 10/16/2014Vorys partner Phil Downey presented at the Litigation Basics Seminar hosted by the Ohio State Bar Association on October 16, 2014.
- 3/5/2014Vorys Partners Jon Airey and Phil Downey presented at the Ohio Oil and Gas 67th Annual Winter Meeting on March 5, 2014.
- 10/30/2013Vorys partner Phil Downey presented at the Litigation Basics Seminar hosted by the Ohio State Bar Association on October 30, 2013.
- 10/31/2012Vorys partner Philip Downey was one of many presenters in the Litigation Basics seminar that took placeOctober 31, 2012 in Columbus at the Ohio State Bar Association. The one-day seminar provided substantive skills and taught the basics of civil litigation.
- 9/19/2011
Insights
- 1/8/2014The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently certified two important questions of law concerning the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act (DMA) to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
- 12/20/2012Ohio Governor John Kasich today signed the Amended Substitute House Bill 380, which requires the full disclosure of all asbestos bankruptcy trust claims made by plaintiffs with asbestos lawsuits in Ohio. The law will go into effect 90 days from today.
- 12/14/2012The Ohio General Assembly this week passed Amended Substitute House Bill 380, which requires the full disclosure of all asbestos bankruptcy trust claims made by plaintiffs with asbestos lawsuits in Ohio. The bill is headed to Governor John Kasich’s desk; he is expected to sign the bill.