John W. Davidson      

                                           

John W. Davidson is Co-Senior Chairman of the Board of Directors, a shareholder of the Firm and a member of the Firm's Compensation Committee. Mr. Davidson is also a member of the Firm's Public Law and Litigation Sections. He served as the Assistant City Attorney for Dallas from 1959-1961 and the City Attorney for Abilene from 1961-1964. Mr. Davidson was admitted to the Texas bar in 1954, and is licensed to practice before the U.S. Court of Military Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Claims, the U.S. Tax Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th and 11th Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Davidson was educated at the University of Texas (BA, 1953; LLB, 1954).

He is a member of the San Antonio, American and Federal Bar Associations, the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, the Texas City Attorneys Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Texas Public Power Association, the American Public Power Association, American Water Works Association, and the Texas Bar Foundation.

Mr. Davidson maintains an active practice in transactional matters, litigation and administrative law.  His transaction practice includes acquisitions and sales of public utility and cable systems, negotiations of contract disputes, and drafting contracts, municipal charter and ordinance provisions, utility service regulations, and legislative bills.

Mr. Davidson's litigation experience includes representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in multi-party actions.  He was lead counsel in recovering $28 million in damages for the City of San Antonio in plastic water pipe litigation.  He has also served as counsel in antitrust and 10b5 cases, and in cases for the enforcement of rules and regulations of public entities.  He has represented defendants as lead counsel in litigation involving water and wastewater pollution, environmental hazards, damages for motor vehicle, aviation, property accidents, professional negligence cases, and construction and business disputes.

His administrative law practice includes practice before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Texas Railroad Commission, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and other miscellaneous agencies.  Subject matters have included rate and service area issues, purchases and sales of utilities, rule making, and revocation of professional licenses.

Mr. Davidson has also been active in drafting and promoting passage of or defeating proposed legislation at the State Legislature.