Maynard welcomes seasoned trial lawyer Helen Kathryn Downs. Ms. Downs joins the Firm’s Birmingham, AL office as a Shareholder in the Litigation Section. Her practice focuses on the areas of products liability, including pharmaceutical and medical device defense, mass torts, banking litigation, and commercial litigation. She has advised Fortune 500 corporations for more than two decades, mitigating risk and identifying compelling legal defenses. Her advisory and trial services include emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, and drones. Her career has been marked by sophisticated and compassionate courtroom savvy, creative thinking, and crucial insights and wins for clients.

“Maynard’s Litigation Practice Group is thrilled to be adding an experienced litigator with diverse practice experiences and talents to our team,” said John Smyth, Litigation Practice Chair. “Helen Kathryn brings a lot to the table.”

Prior to joining Maynard, Ms. Downs established and ran a full-service trial boutique and consulting law firm recognized by U.S. News-Best Lawyers: Best Law Firms 2021.

“I was attracted to Maynard because of its top-notch litigators, who provide a stellar level of service and achieve results comparable to any firm in the country,” said Helen Kathryn Downs. “The Firm has earned its role as national and regional counsel for a variety of clients – a tradition I hope to continue. Maynard offers both established and cutting-edge legal services, including a Cybersecurity and Privacy practice group ranked in the top twenty in the country and Internet of Things, Autonomy and Robotics Systems, and Personalized Medicine and Genomics industry groups, which are right down my alley. I’m fortunate to be part of such a dynamic, first-rate firm.”

Ms. Downs is recognized across multiple legal organizations for her products liability defense, life sciences expertise, commercial litigation, and courtroom skills. She is ranked in Who’s Who Legal, Courtroom Viewing Network’s Top Ten Defense Verdicts, Best Lawyers, and Martindale Hubbell, to name a few. She holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.