Law 2023: THE HON. MARK STEVEN DAVIS

Davis’ connection to the sea goes back to his specialty in maritime law in private practice, previously representing the company that won salvage rights to the Titanic. Davis joined McGuireWoods in 1989, became partner in 1996 and left in 1998 to join Carr & Porter. From 2003 to 2008, he served as a Portsmouth Circuit Court judge, before then-President George W. Bush nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he took his seat in 2008. He’s been chief judge to the District Court since 2018.

Davis received his bachelor’s degree in American government from the University of Virginia. After working on the staff of U.S. Sen. John Warner, he obtained his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Upon graduation, he served as a law clerk to Judge John A. MacKenzie in the U.S. District Court in Norfolk.

He’s served on several volunteer boards, such as the board of trustees and various committees of Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, a continuing care retirement community operated by local Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, as well as on the Regent University School of Law’s board of visitors from 2004 to 2017.