Maria S. Downham

Maria has represented clients from a wide range of industries, including health care spending and policy, social media, energy, technology, and food. Maria’s commercial litigation experience in state and federal courts includes matters involving claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, deceptive trade practices, and disputes concerning business ownership and control as well as class actions.

At the trial level, Maria has second-chaired fact and expert witness examinations, handled direct and cross examinations before juries, and presented oral argument in federal district court.

She has also drafted critical briefs at all stages of litigation, from successful motions for judgment on the pleadings and motions in limine, to directed-verdict motions and post-trial briefings.

Representative Experience

• Representing a publicly traded defense contractor in an SEC enforcement investigation into the company’s response to a cyberattack and data breach.
• Representing a multinational publicly traded food company in an SEC enforcement investigation into the company’s accounting practices and reported earnings.
• Representing a nationwide managed care organization in affirmative litigation in federal court against a medical billing services provider and numerous coconspirators, alleging fraud, conspiracy, tortious interference, breach of contract, and statutory and equitable claims, seeking in excess of $100 million.
• Part of a litigation team that defended a client in a months-long trial involving a complex commercial dispute with more than $500 million in liability at stake.
• As part of a trial team in a weeklong Colorado state court trial, obtained a sweeping defense victory. Plaintiff sought millions in alleged damages and asserted claims for breach of fiduciary duty, false and negligent misrepresentation, libel, and constructive fraud.

Maria also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing prisoners in Section 1983 civil rights litigation.

Prior Experience

While in law school, Maria interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, was a member of the UVA Law Innocence Project, and prosecuted felonies and other indictable crimes as a student-attorney.

Before joining the firm, Maria served as a federal law clerk for the Hon. James Patrick Hanlon at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.