Power Lunch Series Featuring Denise Davis

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Denise Davis is a law partner at Davis Kaufman, PLLC, an Austin, Texas boutique law firm lobby practice consistently ranked in the top ten on Capitol Inside’s Law Firm Lobby Practice List since its opening in 2012. Recently ranked #1 on the 2013 Rising Lobby Stars List published by Mike Hailey’s “Capitol Inside,” Ms. Davis was described as a “Capitol player who[’s] wielded tremendous amounts of clout behind the scenes and out in the open as well.”

She has over 20 years of public service in and around the Texas Legislature, with extensive experience in drafting complex legislation, administrative rules, legal memoranda and briefs for clients in both the public and private sectors – ultimately placing her in the top third of the 2017 Hired Guns List by Hailey.

Before founding Davis Kaufman PLLC with Lisa Kaufman in 2012, Ms. Davis served as Chief of Staff to Speaker Joe R. Straus. As Chief of Staff, she gave strategic advice to the Speaker and House leadership, and oversaw the legislative agenda and daily activities of the Speaker’s Office.

Prior to her tenure as Chief of Staff, Ms. Davis served several sessions as House Parliamentarian and Special Counsel to the Texas House of Representatives, where she advised the Speaker and House members on ethics and on legal and parliamentary matters relating to the Texas House of Representatives including points of order, House Rules and precedent, and open records.

Her public service also includes work as General Counsel to Lt. Governor William “Bill” Ratliff, Director and Counsel to the Texas Judicial Council under then-Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillips, General Counsel to the Senate Jurisprudence Committee under Senator Rodney Ellis, Legislative Counsel for the Texas Legislative Council, and Assistant Public Information/Press Officer for Lt. Governor William P. Hobby.

In addition to her many years in public sector work, Ms. Davis has also worked in private practice, serving as Special Counsel in the Corporate Section of Baker Botts, LLP., where she provided public policy law and governmental relations services to corporate clients.

Ms. Davis is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from legislative law, to ethics to parliamentary procedure.  She has also advised the Supreme Court for the Republic of Ireland on public access to court information.

Ms. Davis is a native Texan, a wife, a mom,  and a proud graduate of the University of Texas At Austin’s College of Liberal Arts and of The University’s School of Law.