James Downie BSc’19

About

James is a lawyer who has a passion for the intersection of law, technology and innovation. He is an associate with the litigation team at Cox & Palmer in Halifax. His practice focuses on the areas of health law, insurance defence and commercial litigation.

James completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology at Saint Mary’s University in 2019. While at Saint Mary’s University, he served as a tutor at the SNAP Centre, a chemistry lab assistant, and played four seasons on the tennis team.

James obtained his law degree from Schulich School of Law, with a specialization in Law and Technology. He was awarded the WLG Gowling Law and Technology Prize in 2022 for his paper on the regulation of decentralized autonomous organizations. James’ work exploring the intersection of science and the law has been included in publications from McGraw Hill Canada.

James is an engaging educator and is excited to equip young entrepreneurs with essential knowledge about navigating the legal system in Canada. In 2023, he guest lectured to the Saint Mary’s University MBA program on the topic of intellectual property law.

As an alumnus of Saint Mary’s University, James is thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to his alma mater by mentoring students and sharing valuable insights with the future business leaders of Atlantic Canada.