Joseph Dowdy, Managing Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP – Raleigh

In an interview with Invest:, Joseph Dowdy, managing partner at Foley & Lardner LLP – Raleigh, discussed the law firm’s growth in the Triangle, the region’s business climate, and the need to invest in infrastructure, housing, and talent. “Ours is a story of growth, and Raleigh is a story of growth,” Dowdy said.

What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on your Raleigh office, and in what ways?

I joined Foley as a business litigator a year ago from another firm. I loved the people there; I love it here more. 

Foley, an AmLaw 50 firm and a true global legal services provider, wanted to come into this market because we were uniquely suited to provide services to this growing market. Ours is a story of growth, and Raleigh is a story of growth.

I am a litigator with a broad commercial practice. My goal is to partner with them to solve their problems, through the courts if necessary, but preferably collaboratively. In a cradle of growth like Raleigh, that is important because we want businesses to spend their money growing, investing, and being part of the community, not fighting with people unless they absolutely have to.

We have a sectoral approach focused on energy and infrastructure, healthcare and life sciences, innovative technology, and manufacturing. In healthcare and life sciences, every day, you see companies in the Triangle expanding. The recent technological changes are remarkable. For example, I represent a company that uses nanowear technology in clothing. In simple terms, instead of going to a doctor’s office for tests, you can wear clothing with devices that collect information while you work out, walk, sleep, and go about your normal life. Then that data can help with diagnosis and monitoring, aided by technological innovation.

If you think about what companies are doing with genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and targeted approaches to disease, it is an exciting time. Raleigh is at the forefront of that. We are a real leader in this space.

How is Foley supporting companies in the Triangle’s innovation economy?

Foley’s practices match the Triangle’s needs. We have strong practices in the fields of technology, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and talented professionals in IP, corporate and transactional law, and litigation. 

One of the great opportunities in this city is Foley’s approach to helping companies solve problems in ways that directly contribute to better outcomes. I was speaking with a lawyer at another great local firm about a matter that began as litigation. Our clients were fighting.

We were creative about it and found a way for our clients to make peace, not war, and we brought in our deal, financing, and IP lawyers. Because of the growth here, the stage of the company, and the unique investment posture of the matter, we helped them forge a solution that may contribute to better healthcare for people around the world because of what is happening right here in the Triangle.

That is an amazing opportunity. You do not get to do that everywhere or at every firm.

What makes Raleigh attractive for companies looking to grow or invest?

Great people and great setting. Raleigh itself is a vibrant city, and it has created neighbors in Cary and Durham. There are great suburban surroundings, and within the Triangle, there are places to live, work, shop, and eat.

We also have strong real estate development — you are going to work somewhere convenient and beautiful. Highwoods Properties is doing a great job where we are now, and Kane Realty has been behind a lot of the Midtown growth. Big companies are moving to the Triangle, and innovative technology is growing here.

One thing that is important to highlight, as a litigator, is that savvy companies are thinking carefully about their states of incorporation, venue, and regulation. North Carolina has a specialized and talented business court, and we were one of the first states to do that. If you are having a business dispute involving a contract, trade secrets, or intellectual property, it helps to have judges with commercial experience deciding those disputes. We have business-friendly regulations and taxes. Companies evaluating where to be headquartered are looking at taxes, education, jobs, quality of life, and whether people want to move there.

Raleigh’s job numbers are healthier than the rest of the country. We have financial services companies, multiple growing industries, and an educated population. I do not think it is just strategic. It is part of the culture of who we are as a community and city. We have always been welcoming to business, and it has always been a great place to live.

For the lifestyle, the pace, the cost, the growth, the innovation, and what companies can get from a tax and business standpoint, this is a wonderful place to be.

What legal and regulatory issues are receiving the most attention from clients today?

The hottest issues are artificial intelligence, product safety, and government enforcement. It’s an exciting time to practice. Companies can do more work faster because of the emerging technologies, and candidly, the change is outpacing the law, which is not always uniform. New products mean new challenges, for example, in labeling. And in any industry, government inquiry or involvement can be impactful. Foley is a real powerhouse in all of these areas.

Some of the biggest cases I have litigated have been with the government, and I am proud of those resolutions. One of the things Foley does differently is that we try to put our heads together with the government or with whoever and ask how we can come up with a solution that is good for the citizens of this state.

I can honestly say my cases have resulted in local people’s lives being better in many instances, and I am proud of that. You do not get that opportunity everywhere.

What are the challenges facing Raleigh?

We are going to have to invest in more infrastructure. What we have is great, and our public servants and public workers are working hard, but we need more accessible and available public transportation to continue to grow into the city we will become.

Affordable housing is also an opportunity. We are creating all these jobs, and we must have people to do those jobs. They need somewhere to live. It is a good problem to have, but it is still a problem. 

I think it is going to require a public-private partnership. Politics in North Carolina can get a little bit of a knock, and I have friends on both sides. They have to learn to work together better and stop talking past each other to fund the initiatives we need.

We need to invest in schools, infrastructure, and roads. Invest is the right word. As a society, we need to invest in those areas. Raleigh is going to be one of the big, talented commercial hubs in the country. We need to start thinking about what we want it to look like in 20 years.

How do you attract and retain the next generation of legal professionals in your Raleigh office?

We are fortunate to have outstanding talent here. We have great law schools nearby, including UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, Campbell, Elon, and High Point.

The next generation thinks about things differently. Younger professionals’ experiences with work were shaped differently by the pandemic. As we move into the future, we have to embrace the strengths of the younger generation. They are better at technology than more experienced workers, and technology is going to drive a lot of what is coming. They are also strong in their ability to understand and promote social justice.

As experienced leaders, we must address the larger question of diplomacy. We have to learn to communicate with a younger generation, respect them, and understand what they have to contribute. Hopefully, we can also show them that we have things to contribute.

I speak regularly, including at the Wake County Bar Association, on navigating and improving interpersonal skills. True exchanges of ideas like that are more of what we need. I consider myself a behavioralist litigator who recognizes that we are in a changing world where technology is increasingly important, but we are all people, too. People are, in many respects, the hardest problem to solve.

And we must work to be positive influences. One of my favorite things is getting together with the different people who have worked with me. If you can have a small influence on somebody’s life, that is a wonderful thing. 

Foley shares my commitment to the next generation, and it is one of the reasons I came here. We need an ongoing conversation with the next generation about what they can build on what we have done well, how they can help us improve, and how they can learn from what we have done. That is the key to building the firm and the city of the future.