Jim Davidson

Background

About Jim Davidson

James Davidson counsels companies and business associations on how they can achieve their goals regarding legislation before Congress or regulations before federal agencies. For more than two decades, Jim has effectively represented Fortune 500 companies and leading industry groups on issues involving taxation, agency regulations, government information policy, media regulation, privacy, regulation of advertising, health care, appropriations, and budget policy. Jim is also one of the nation's leading authorities on media and advertising law. In 2011, a coalition he directed prevented adoption by federal agencies of a new standard that would have barred advertising of most food products, including most cereals, whole wheat bread, and low-fat yogurt. Another coalition persuaded Congress not to tax certain types of advertising to help pay for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In April 2012, Reuters described Jim as “one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington” and “the point man for the advertising industry in free speech issues.” During his service on U.S. Senate staffs, he served as the chief counsel and staff director of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure, chief counsel of the Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations, and special assistant to Missouri Senator Stuart Symington. He was the principal Senate staff author of the federal Privacy Act, and of a major amendment to the Freedom of Information Act. While serving on Senate staff, Jim was recognized in the book, Unelected Representatives: Congressional Staff and the Future of Representative Government. Following a decade of service on Capitol Hill, Jim formed Davidson & Company, a government relations firm that later merged with Polsinelli, one of the nation's top 100 law firms. He writes the “Eye on Washington” column for DTC Perspectives magazine.