Don Downing Named a 2020 ICON Award Recipient

Gray Ritter Graham Vice President Don Downing has been named a recipient of a Missouri Lawyers Media 2020 ICON Award.  The award recognizes “Missouri attorneys age 60 or older who have demonstrated notable, sustained success and strong leadership within and outside the field of law.”

Inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2019, Mr. Downing has been recognized as a Best Lawyers of America St. Louis “Lawyer of the Year” in 2020, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

He  served on the University of Missouri Board of Curators from 2009-2014. Mr. Downing is a past recipient of the Citation of Merit from the University of Missouri School or Law, and in 2015 received the Faculty-Alumni Award from the Mizzou Alumni Association.

In 2018 he and other co-lead plaintiff counsel in multi-district litigation involving U.S. corn growers’ claims against Switzerland-based Syngenta over its genetically modified strains of corn obtained a $1.51 billion settlement on behalf of the farmers. It is believed to be the largest agriculture litigation settlement in U.S. history.

In 2011, as co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel, he obtained a $750 million settlement on behalf of U.S. rice farmers in multi-district litigation over genetically modified rice. Additional settlement payments to affected businesses brought total settlement payments to over $1 billion.

Mr. Downing joins Maurice Graham and Robert Ritter as Gray Ritter Graham ICON Award honorees.

He will receive the award at a luncheon tentatively scheduled for June 17.

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Posted in News April 24 2020