Somach Simmons & Dunn recently welcomed attorney Eric W. Davis back to the firm. Eric is an environmental and public law attorney whose practice is informed by his years of experience as a U.S. diplomat and a senior federal government lawyer, and was with the firm from 2005–2009.  Eric’s broad experience as a litigator, advocate, advisor, and policy maker make him a valuable resource for clients in both the public and private sectors. He is a graduate of U.C. Davis, School of Law, and holds an M.A. from the University of Texas, Austin, and a B.A. from Rice University.

As a foreign service officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Eric Davis served as general counsel for USAID missions overseas, completing assignments in Indonesia, Senegal, Mozambique, and El Salvador.  As a senior legal advisor in the field, he was the first-line legal counsel to U.S. Government officials on matters related to the administration of hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. foreign assistance overseas.  He negotiated grants, contracts, and other agreements with foreign governments, multilateral organizations, other U.S. agencies, and private entities. He was the advisor on ethical issues for hundreds of U.S. Government employees.   He provided direction to his client missions on host-country employment law, taxation agreements, programmatic legal compliance, and communications with Congress. He was also recognized as an expert in environmental impact analysis law for USAID-financed projects overseas, participating in the review and revision of agency policy governing pre-project review.

Eric’s engagement in legal matters related to water, land use, and other natural resource legal issues began in law school, when he clerked with the California Department of Water Resources, the California Attorney General’s Office, and Legal Services of Northern California (where he focused on urban housing policy and gentrification).  While in private law practice, Eric has served as the deputy city attorney for a California city, participated in significant CEQA and NEPA litigation, advised public agencies on the Endangered Species Act, worked with municipalities on groundwater management, and assisted private clients with land use entitlements and development agreements.

After many years abroad, where they amassed an impressive repertoire of stories involving encounters with Komodo dragons, fruit bats, elephants, and lions, Eric Davis and his wife are happy to be back in northern California, where they have renewed appreciation for the value of hiking opportunities on public lands in California and the West.

Somach Simmons & Dunn is a midsize environmental and water law firm, with offices in California, Colorado, and the District of Columbia. The firm’s attorneys represent public and private sector clients across a range of water, air, and land disciplines, including litigation, transactional, and public policy matters.