NORWICH – Looking to contribute to the community he grew up in, a lawyer with almost 26 years of legal experience is opening a new practice in the City of Norwich.
Colonel Edward B. Downey served 27 years for the U.S. Army, six years on active duty and the rest as a reservist. Much of that time was spent in the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAG).
“I graduated from Norwich with the class of 73’. Back then I needed a way to pay for my college, having grown up on a shoe string income, so I joined the Army’s ROTC,” said Downey.
Downey completed his B.S. at St. Bonaventure University in economics and graduated with honors, magna cum laude, later obtaining his J.D. law degree at Union University and Albany Law School. He was deployed to Bosnia in 1994 to 95 and then again called back again to serve in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. While in Iraq he served on General David H. Petraeus’ legal staff, helping create a new system for the fledgling Iraqi military. Downey aided in crafting the Iraqi military code of justice and helped integrate both judges and lawyers into the new Iraqi military system.
“I left my job with Travelers Insurance to serve and when I got back, they accommodated me as they were obligated to, but a lot had changed while I was away. I gave them another two years then after talking things over with my wife, I decided to try something else.”
Downey worked for the insurance company for more than 20 years and he said he routinely managed multi-million dollar insurance claims, while being a reservist.
“It’s a general practice but after 26 years in the insurance business, I have all the experience I need to handle insurance cases,” said Downey. He also said his extensive military experiences in JAG and as a veteran have made him very keen on military cases.
“Military issues and veteran affairs in this day and age have the potential for much growth unfortunately,” he said.
The office currently handles personal injury, no fault insurance, traffic and DWI cases, Social Security disability, veteran issues, wills, health care proxy, gas well leasing and compulsory integration. “There is always more to learn and as a lawyer your job is to search the law, apply the law and solve a client’s issue,” said Downey.
Edward Downey is the brother of City of Norwich Judge James Downey and rents a space for his office at the same location as his brother’s practice at 24 Fair St. in the City of Norwich. The phone number is 316-5601.
The two brothers, although sharing an address, have no official links between the two businesses. “We are not associated. We don’t share any staff or information regarding anything professional. He doesn’t answer my phone and I don’t answer any of his,” said Edward.
Downey also maintains a second office in Guilderland and travels between the two a few times a week. “Where I need to be is where I go, so it can be convenient for my clients,” he said.
Downey has two older sons and has been married to his wife Jane Capria Downey for 27 years; she also graduated from Norwich High School, in 1972.
“I wanted to reach back to the community I grew up in. My mother still lives over on west hill and Norwich is the center of our family world. All the friends I grew up with have their own lives and seem to be running my hometown now, bankers, doctors and businessmen. I look forward to contributing back to the community,” said Downey.