Overview
Tom Davis is a Washington, D.C., attorney who focuses his practice on handling a variety of congressional and regulatory affairs, including congressional investigations, land use and legislative strategy.
Mr. Davis served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 11th Congressional District of Virginia. He served as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2003 to 2007, where he led a number of high-profile investigations. In addition, Mr. Davis was elected chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and served in that role from 1999 to 2002. When he joined Congress, Mr. Davis was the first freshman representative in 50 years to hold a subcommittee chairmanship, taking the gavel of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia.
While in Congress, Mr. Davis was a chief author of more than 100 pieces of legislation that became law, including the Services Acquisition Reform Act (SARA), Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), D.C. "Control Board" Act, District of Columbia College Access Program, D.C. Revitalization Act, Federal Acquisition Reform Act (FARA), National Capital Transportation Amendments Act (Washington Metro Authorization), Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and the Y2K Act (tort reform). He also presided over 150 hearings and investigations culminating in reports which included Hurricane Katrina, steroid use in professional baseball and contracting in Iraq.
Mr. Davis also served as a supervisor on the Fairfax County (Va.) Board of Supervisors from 1980 to 1994, and as the board chairman from 1991 to 1994.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Davis was managing director of the Government Relations Office at Deloitte, where he advised the consulting side of the firm and its clients in its efforts to develop business with governmental clients. Mr. Davis also served 14 years as general counsel for a publicly held professional services firm in McLean, Virginia, up until his election to Congress.
Mr. Davis has served as a director on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) where, as vice chairman, he oversaw the construction on Phase I of Metrorail to Dulles Airport and helped procure the funding agreement for Phase II. He currently serves as Rector (chairman of the Board of Visitors) at George Mason University, where he is also a distinguished professor of Public Policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government.
Mr. Davis also has authored numerous thought pieces in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and The Hill on the workings of Congress and other governmental issues. He also has appeared as a commentator on various television news and entertainment programs, including "Meet the Press," "Fox News Sunday Show" (power player of the week), MSNBC, CNN and the "Bill Maher Show."
In addition, Mr. Davis is a frequent speaker to trade associations, academia and corporations on the workings of Congress and the political environment, and he has traveled to various countries to speak to heads of state about the workings of democracy.
Credentials
- University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
- Amherst College, B.A., cum laude
- District of Columbia
- Virginia
- George Mason University Board of Visitors, Rector, 2014-Present
- Partnership for Public Service, Board Member, 2009-Present
- Federal City Council, President, 2009-Present
- The Best Lawyers in America, Government Relations Practice, 2023, 2025
- Client Service All-Star, The BTI Consulting Group, Inc., 2020
- The Legal 500 USA, Government Relations, 2019, 2020
- Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters, Amherst College, 2009
- James Madison Award, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2008
- G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Award, U.S. National Guard, 2006, 2008
- Harry S. Truman Award, U.S. National Guard, 2007
- Marc S. Ross Award, Professional Services Council, 2001
- Eagle Award, Federal Computer Week, 2001
- Founders Circle Award, TechNet, 2001
- American Electronics Association High Tech Legislator Hall of Fame Award, 2000