Judge Walter W. Davis will rejoin the Firm as a partner in the Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice, and will be based in the Atlanta Office.

Judge Davis returns to Jones Day after serving for three years as the first judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court. In this role, he was responsible for taking the state-wide business court established in Georgia from an initial concept to reality—overseeing everything from rulemaking, staffing, budgeting, and public affairs to the design and construction of the court's offices and courtroom. Prior to starting the court, Judge Davis spent 17 years at Jones Day, where he led the Atlanta Office's Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice.

"Walt is a recognized leader and a very talented lawyer held in high esteem locally as well as nationally," said Al LaFiandra, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Atlanta Office. "He was a true pioneer in the leadership of the Georgia Business Court, and we fully expect that he will continue to be a leader in the litigation practice and in our office. His return is another example of the investments we're making to best serve our corporate clients with litigation needs, and we are delighted that he is rejoining Jones Day."

In his return to Jones Day, Judge Davis joins a practice that defends companies and individuals facing shareholder actions arising from mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, derivative cases, and securities fraud class actions. He will counsel clients on corporate governance matters, business and fiduciary litigation, internal and governmental investigations, and ethics and corporate compliance issues. Jones Day's Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice has successfully counseled clients in investigations involving every SEC office in the U.S.

"Walt's return to Jones Day strengthens our already strong team of securities lawyers in Atlanta and throughout the United States," said Henry Klehm III, leader of Jones Day's Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice. "Having been named a Securities & Finance litigation powerhouse in the BTI Litigation Outlook each of the 11 years the report has been produced, we are always excited to add more top legal talent and practice capabilities to serve our clients across the Southeast, the United States, and the globe. I look forward to Walt's return and his many contributions."

Judge Davis is a member of Leadership Georgia, the Rotary Club of Atlanta, and the Clark-Carley Inn of Court, and he serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. He earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University and his undergraduate degree from Mercer University. Judge Davis is an adjunct professor of securities and business law at the University of Georgia School of Law.