Regulatory attorney Tom Downey has been appointed to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee is an unincorporated group of experts whose professional practices and activities are regulated or affected in some manner by the office of the Secretary of State. The Committee engages in dialogue with Secretary of State staff members to improve the services that are available to the public and to identify areas of interpretation or uncertainty in the statutory authority of the office that can be clarified or changed.
Downey has significant experience as both a government official and private attorney. He helps clients navigate all aspects of regulatory law, including the administrative, transactional and disciplinary processes related to liquor licensing, legalized marijuana, gaming, sports betting, and licenses governed by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Prior to joining Ireland Stapleton, Downy led Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses. During that time, he redrafted Denver’s Policies and Procedures for liquor licensing and wrote the original Policies and Procedures for Denver’s legalized recreational marijuana licenses. Governor Hickenlooper appointed him to advise the administration and General Assembly on the legislation creating recreational marijuana. He created and ran the Business and Licensing Division of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, and while in this role, he worked with the Advisory Committee merging the Licensing and Business Divisions. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Business and Licensing Section under A.G. Ken Salazar. His higher profile cases included the Congressional Redistricting, State Reapportionment, the GAVEL Amendment and the Blue Book battles.