Joseph G. Davis is a partner in Willkie’s Litigation Department. He focuses on complex litigation and corporate compliance matters, with a particular expertise in insurance matters. Joe regularly represents U.S. and non-U.S. corporations and individuals in proceedings before federal and state trial and appellate courts, bankruptcy courts and other tribunals. He also conducts internal investigations and provides litigation counseling.
Joe has litigated numerous commercial matters, including insurance coverage actions, contract claims, alter ego and successor liability claims, fraudulent transfer claims, securities claims, professional malpractice claims, valuation disputes and others. He has led corporate internal investigations in industries such as insurance, securities and asset management, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications. He regularly counsels clients on litigation risk issues, particularly in the insurance industry. Joe has an active and varied pro bono practice. He is on the board of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and served two years as its Co-Chair. He also chairs the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP D.C. Community Foundation, which supports organizations that provide educational enrichment services to underserved youth in the DMV, and he is on the Board of Miriam’s Kitchen, which provides meals and a variety of services for homeless residents of D.C. He speaks Russian and has an expertise in Russian affairs.
Experience
Joe serves on the Board of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. Joe also chairs the Advisory Committee for the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Greater D.C. Community Foundation, and serves on the Leadership Council for Miriam’s Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ending chronic homelessness in the District of Columbia. Additionally, Joe is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
-
Joseph G. Davis and Richard Mancino, "Delaware Supreme Court Declines to Exercise General Personal Jurisdiction over Corporation Registered to do Business in Delaware," Willkie Client Memorandum (May 2016).
-
Richard Mancino and Joseph G. Davis, 'Are Arbitration Clauses in International Insurance Contracts Enforceable? The Fourth Circuit Joins Debate," Insurance Coverage Law Report (August/September 2012).
-
Benjamin J. Haskin, Joseph G. Davis and Jocelyn C. Flynn, "Under the Microscope: Valuation and Hedge Funds," 10 Journal of Investment Compliance, No. 3 (2009).
-
Kevin B. Clark, Joseph G. Davis and David B. Esau, "Congress Makes Significant Changes to Rules Governing Class Actions," Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (June 2005).
-
Kevin B. Clark and Joseph G. Davis, "The Growing Exposure of Foreign Companies and their Directors and Officers to U.S. Securities Laws," Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (July 2003).
-
Regularly defends U.S. and non-U.S. insurance companies in multibillion-dollar, multi-party actions in state and federal courts across the country.
-
Represents major property/casualty insurer in some of the largest mass tort related bankruptcies in the U.S. and their related insurance coverage actions.
-
Represented the estate of Lehman Brothers in multibillion-dollar RMBS valuation trial.
-
Defended international financial services firm in preliminary injunction proceeding involving an insurance-related contract dispute.
-
Represented major U.S. accounting firm in defense and trial of accounting malpractice claims.
-
Represented non-U.S. insurance company in multi-jurisdiction coverage action involving enforceability of arbitration clauses under the FAA and New York Convention.
-
Defended international manufacturer in California class action alleging conspiracy to exclude competitors and price fixing.
-
Represented former officers and directors of a public company in the automobile industry in federal securities action in New York and related state-court fraud action in Florida.
-
Pro bono amicus briefing in the U. S. Supreme Court and other federal courts on behalf of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and others in the Jose Padilla (U.S. “enemy combatant”) case.
-
Pro bono lead plaintiffs’ counsel in multiple employment discrimination matters.
-
Pro bono appellate representation of convicted federal judge in the U.S. Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit en banc. United States v. Aguilar, 515 U.S. 593 (1995).
Credentials
Education
University of California at Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 1991 Amherst College, B.A., 1987
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
United States Supreme Court United States Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit United States Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit United States Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit United States District Court, District of Columbia