Recent News

June 15, 2006

New lawyer spotlight: David Dawsey

~ written by Biru Chen, Columbus Bar Communications Intern

At work, intellectual property attorney David Dawsey of Gallagher & Dawsey can be found behind his desk and hard at work preparing patents, meeting with clients and analyzing cases. But during his free time, Dawsey refurbishes his 106 year old Victorian Village house, does community service or plays sports. This professional engineer turned lawyer has multi-faceted career qualities and many interests.

Dawsey has lived in Columbus for eleven years, starting when he attended law school at Capital University. Before pursuing his law degree, Dawsey received his B.S. in mechanical engineering at Wright State University, then attended law school as a part-time night student to complete his MBA/JD while working full-time as a professional engineer. With an engineering, a business and a law degree under his belt, Dawsey had a host of career choices available to him. In fact, he did not decide to be a full-time lawyer up until the end of law school.

As a partner at a firm specializing in intellectual property and patent law, Dawsey puts his unique educational background to good use on a daily basis.

“In preparing patents, it’s very beneficial to have actually practiced engineering because it helps to know the industry and inside information,” he said.

Apart from working hard, Dawsey also has a wide variety of interests and hobbies. For fun, he enjoys playing golf and spending time with his dog. But his favorite pastime is refurbishing his antique house which he has been working on and living in for the past two and a half years.

“My house was built in the 1900s, and looks straight out of the 70s,” Dawsey said. “I am repairing, upgrading and refurbishing it myself.”

He learned these skills from his father, and spends about five to ten hours a week working on his house. He said it is a great way for him to unwind after work.

“At the end of the day, practicing law just creates papers, and this provides a tangible result,” Dawsey said.

Another way Dawsey continues to make substantial differences is by staying active through the Columbus Bar. He spends time doing community service and attending events through the New Lawyers committee. He said he especially recalls a presentation to the New Lawyer’s committee he attended last year that was both entertaining and educational.

“A speaker came in and gave a presentation about what not to do in a presentation,” he said. “It was very interesting to hear what she had to say and then reflect on what I do myself.”

Dawsey was also a member of the Barrister Leader class of 2004-05. He said he really enjoyed his experience as a Barrister Leader and found it was a great way to meet new people and get involved in various community service events.

“Through the Barrister Leader program, I learned different ways to be active in the Bar, and it has allowed me to be more involved in the community and meet other new lawyers working in the area,” he said.

He said one of the most beneficial aspects of the Barrister Leader program and the New Lawyers committee is the networking advantages they provide.

“Initially, new lawyers are so scared and it gives them comfort to meet new people in the same situation,” he said.

Last year, Dawsey attended a Mud Volleyball Tournament for Epilepsy event and the Rock N’ Bowl service event for Children’s Hospital sponsored by the Columbus Bar. All in all, he said he would strongly recommend the Barrister Leader program to any new lawyer in the area.

In general, Dawsey said he stays active in the Columbus Bar because he believes it is a great service for lawyers as well as the general public.

“The Columbus Bar keeps me up to date on current issues through community involvement and the CLE program,” he said. “It also sustains the image of lawyers and helps improve peoples’ perception of the legal community.”