About John H. McDowell

John McDowell is a first-chair trial lawyer hired for complicated, large-scale litigation throughout the United States. John has more than 30 years of experience across a broad range of sectors and substantive areas.

John McDowell’s approach is direct, practical and is always guided by the client’s ultimate goals.

John brings decades of the best big firm experience to zealously representing clients in state and federal courts across the county.

John has also devoted a great deal of effort to make his firms better through chairing Litigation Sections, serving on firm Policy Committees (the firms’ governing bodies) and Partners Committees (the firms’ partner compensation committees). Also, John has served as Loss Prevention Partner, Technology Partner and has led technology initiatives at prior law firms.

John serves at National Appeals Chair for his law school, The University of Virginia School of Law and has served on the Alumni Council of the University of Virginia School of Law. John was elected to membership in Stanford Associates. John has actively led Bar Associations at the local, national and international levels. Those associations include the American Bar Association (various leadership roles in the Litigation Section), the Texas Young Lawyers Association (Board Member), the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (President), the Dallas Bar Association (Board Member) and the Honorable Barbara M. G. Lynn American Inn of Court (President).

Honors and Awards

  • AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell (30+ years)

  • D Magazine Best Lawyers through 2024 and Hall of Fame and Legal Legend for multiple decade recognitions

  • Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, 2009-Present

  • Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Intellectual Property Litigation, 2004-Present

  • Top Attorneys, Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Corporate Litigation, 2009-Present

  • Patent Star, IP Stars Handbook, Managing Intellectual Property, Corporate Litigation, 2016-Present

ASSOCIATIONS

  • University of Virginia School of Law, National Appeals Chair, 2022-2024

  • University of Virginia School of Law, Alumni Council, 2015-2018

  • Stanford Associates, Member, 2015-present

  • American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Antitrust Committee, Co-Chair, 2006-2009

  • American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Trial Evidence Committee, Co-Chair, 2009-2011

  • American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Jury Innovations, Co-Chair, 2011-2013

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association, Antitrust Committee, 2011-2013

  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, President

  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Chair

  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Life Founding Fellow

  • Dallas Bar Association, Director, 1990-1991

  • Dallas Bar Association, Fellow

  • State Bar of Texas, Antitrust and Business Litigation Section

  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow

  • Texas Young Lawyers Association, Director, 1991-1993

  • The Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, 2012-present in various roles including President

  • Union Internationale Des Avocats, Member, Author and Speaker, Litigation Commission

  • Union Internationale Des Avocats, Member,  Author and Speaker, Competition Commission 

PUBLICATIONS

  • The 10 Things You Must Know About Patent Litigation in 2017 (February 14, 2017)

  • Higher HSR Reporting Thresholds Effective February 27, 2017 (January 26, 2017)

  • FTC Releases Report on Patent Assertion Entities, Calls for Reforms to Reduce Nuisance Patent Lawsuits (October 11, 2016)

  • Arbitrator's Manifest Disregard of the Law is No Basis for Vacating Arbitration Award - So Rules the Supreme Court of Texas (June 2, 2016)

  • Author, "Collaboration Among Competitors and Standards Setting in the United States," course materials for the Competition Law Commission of the Union Internationale des Avocats 55th UIA Congress (2011)

  • Author, "Antitrust 101: Section 1 of the Sherman Act," Antitrust Litigation, Newsletter of the ABA Section of Litigation Antitrust Committee (2007)

  • Author, "Strategy in Question: The Supreme Court Weighs Antitrust Procedures," ABA Section of Litigation-Update, February (2007)

  • Co-author, "Effective Markman Presentations," chapter in Winning Intellectual Property Strategies, Aspatore Books (2006)

  • Quoted in "Meet the new king of patent litigation (sorry, East Texas)" The Texas Lawbook and Dallas Business journal (September 22, 2017)

  • Quoted in "EDTX Judge Pick Would Aid ShortHanded Patent Hotbed," Law360 (March 28, 2016)

  • Quoted in The Texas Lawbook "Hope Shimabuku Takes Over as New USPTO Director," (January 4, 2016)

  • Numerous additional publications, focused on intellectual property, antitrust and complex litigation issues

COURT ADMISSIONS

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas

  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

  • U.S. Supreme Court

PRESENTATIONS

  • Panelist. NDTX Bench Bar Conference IP Panel: Developments in IP Litigation in the Northern District of Texas (January 12, 2018)

  • Case in Point Webinar Series:The 10 Things You Need to Know About Patent Litigation in 2017 (February 14, 2017)

  • Speaker, "Apple vs. Samsung," Litigation Commission of the Union Internationale des Avocats 57th UIA Congress (2013)

  • Moderator, National Conference of State Trial Judges and Commission on the American Jury Project Town Hall (2012)

  • Speaker, "Antitrust Aspects of Agreements Between Competitors," 55th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats (2011)

  • Moderator, "Top 10 Privilege and Privacy Blunders in the Digital Age," ABA Section of Litigation Conference (2011)

  • Moderator, "The Ten Things Every Patent and Antitrust Practitioner Must Know After Recent Supreme Court Decisions," ABA Section of Litigation (2007)

  • Author and Lecturer, "Patent Law and Litigation in the United States," SMU Cox Business School MBA Program (2007)

  • Moderator, Antitrust and Intellectual Property Trends in the Supreme Court," A Conversation with Deputy Solicitor General Thomas Hungar, ABA Litigation Section Teleconference Series (2006)

  • "Strategies to Ensure Effective Markman Presentations," Firm-sponsored IP seminar (2006)

  • Panelist, Texas Lawyer Intellectual Property Roundtable (2006)

  • Guest Lecturer, "U.S. Intellectual Property Law Update 2005," SMU Cox School of Business EMBA Program (2005)

  • "Trends in Litigation Management and Dispute Resolution," Counsel to Counsel Forum (Houston, Texas) (2005)

  • "The Nine Antitrust Developments You Should Know About Today," The Texas General Counsel Forum (2005)

  • "Antitrust and Patent Law," Forbes Sky Radio, (2004)

  • "Record Retention and Destruction - The Andersen Issue, Technology Pitfalls, and Other Lessons," 2002 Annual Tax Symposium (Dallas and San Antonio, Texas)

  • "Intellectual Property and e-Law" (guest lecturer), SMU Cox School of Business EMBA Program (2000 - present)

  • "Protecting Your Intellectual Property (workshop co-presenter), SMU Cox School of Business (Caruth Institute), e-Startup: How to Launch The Next Great Internet Company (2000)

  • "Internet Resources," Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Best Presentation and Paper (2000)

  • Numerous additional speeches and presentations on intellectual property, antitrust and complex litigation issues.

EDUCATION

  • University of Virginia School of Law (JD)

  • Stanford University (BA)