Lawyers / Professionals

	C. Simon Davidson Partner One James Center 901 East Cary Street Richmond, Virginia 23219-4030 T: 804.775.1059 F: 804.698.2256 cdavidson@mcguirewoods.com

Mr. Davidson represents individuals and organizations under investigation by federal and state agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Office of the Inspector General. He also practices general commercial litigation, including securities class actions, False Claims Act cases, and contract disputes.

In addition, he advises clients regarding ethics and legal issues affecting Members of Congress, Congressional employees, lobbyists and other businesses that interact with Congress. He is the author of A Question of Ethics, a regular column in Roll Call addressing these topics. To receive the column via e-mail, click here.

Representative Matters

United States of America v. America Online, Inc., Criminal No. 1:04 M 1133 (E.D. Va. 2005)
Advised clients regarding Congressional ethics rules
Conducted numerous corporate internal investigations regarding potential violations of immigration law
Represented individuals testifying in SEC investigations involving alleged accounting fraud
Internal investigations of corporations responding to SEC inquiries regarding insider trading
Represented a hedge fund managing partner in defense of an arbitration alleging accounting improprieties and breach of fiduciary duties
Represented an international food service company relating to services provided to troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Represented an international lender regarding a multimillion-dollar contract dispute arising out of construction of a steel mill in the Netherlands
Argued a case of first impression regarding appellate jurisdiction in the Connecticut Supreme Court: Santiago v. State of Connecticut, 261 Conn. 533 (2002)

Practices & Industries

Publications

"A Question of Ethics: Contributions Allowed With a Bill Pending? ," Roll Call, July 27, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: What Is the Impact of the Skilling Decision?," Roll Call, July 13, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: What's the Deal With Job Offers to Candidates?," Roll Call, June 22, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: Are Proceedings Before the OCE Confidential?," Roll Call, June 8, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: Avoid Campaign Work on Office Equipment," Roll Call, May 25, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: What Are the Lessons of the Carib News Investigation?," Roll Call, May 11, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: How Can a Company Comply With Gift Rules? ," Roll Call, April 27, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: Is There Any Merit to the C Street Ethics Complaints?," Roll Call, April 13, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: May Campaign Materials Bear the Great Seal?," Roll Call, March 16, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: Are Expelled House Members Able to Be Re-Elected?," Roll Call, March 2, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: What Now for Corporations and Campaigns?," Roll Call, February 16, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: Who May Take Members and Staffers to Dinner?," Roll Call, February 2, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: A Lobbyist Might Not Be a 'Lobbyist,' but Needs to Be Careful," Roll Call, January 19, 2010
"A Question of Ethics: 2009: A Busy Year in Congressional Ethics Comes to a Close," Roll Call, December 15, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: What Is a Letter of Qualified Admonition?," Roll Call, December 1, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Representatives Skip the Line for a Flu Vaccine?," Roll Call, November 10, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: Is TARP Lobbying Allowed at Widely Attended Gatherings?," Roll Call, October 27, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: When Does a Price Discount Become an Ethics Violation?," Roll Call, September 29, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: Are Members' Statements to Ethics Committees Protected?," Roll Call, July 28, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May a Senate Aide Date the Office's Senior Staffer," Roll Call, July 14, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: More Light is Shed on Requirements for Lobbying Registration," Roll Call, June 29, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: When May Lobbyists Terminate Their Registration?," Roll Call, June 16, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May a Member Use a Staffer as a Personal Assistant? Roll Call, June 2, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Former Staffers Help New Staffers Do Their Jobs?" Roll Call, May 19, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: Must Senators Disclose Good Deals on Property Sales?," Roll Call, May 5, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: Risks Lie in Submitting Allegations to the New Ethics Office," Roll Call, April 20, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Lobbyists Still Lobby for Stimulus Funding?" Roll Call, April 6, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Lobbyists Still Host Campaign Fundraisers?" Roll Call, March 23, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Companies Host Members of Congress for Meals?" Roll Call, March 9, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: Can the Senate Ethics Committee Expel Roland Burris?" Roll Call, February 23, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: When Must Members Recuse Themselves From a Vote?" Roll Call, February 9, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Capitol Hill Staffers Sell Their Personal Items?," Roll Call, January 26, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: May Members Use Campaign Funds for Parking Tickets?" Roll Call, January 12, 2009
"A Question of Ethics: A Review of 2008: The Year in Congressional Ethics," Roll Call, December 8, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Does Federal Law Require Stevens to Be Expelled?" Roll Call, November 17, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Stevens Verdict Offers Clues on Disclosure Liability " Roll Call, November 4, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Cell Phone Rules Leave Staffers Out in the Rain" Roll Call, October 21, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: It's the Big Game: Are Members Allowed to Accept Tickets?" Roll Call, October 7, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: May Staffers Provide Legal Services to Campaigns?" Roll Call, September 22, 2008
"A Question of Ethics:Are There Grounds for a Complaint Against Obama?" Roll Call, September 2, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Are There Grounds for an Ethics Complaint Against McCain?" Roll Call, August 26, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: When Do Personal Financial Interests Prohibit Earmarks?" Roll Call, August 4, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Are Members Allowed to Use Campaign Funds for Legal Fees?" Roll Call, July 21, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Is Congress Allowed to Influence K Street Hiring Decisions?" Roll Call, July 7, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: May Hill Staffers Accept Deals on Home Loans?," Roll Call, June 23, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: May Senate Staffers Hold Elected Office in Their Home States," Roll Call, June 9, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: May Hill Staffers Advance the Costs of Election Campaigns?," Roll Call, May 19, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: The $200,000 Question: When is a Gift 'From' an Organization?," Roll Call, May 5, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: May Firms Woo Prospective Employees From the House?," Roll Call, April 21, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: May Lobbyists Rely on the Congressional Ethics Manuals?," Roll Call, April 7, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: What, Exactly, Is the Point of the New Office on Ethics?," Roll Call, March 24, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Organizations Struggle With New Disclosure Rules for Members," Roll Call, March 10, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: How Broad Is the Jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee?," Roll Call, February 25, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Are Members Allowed to Sponsor Earmarks for Campaign Donors?," Roll Call, February 4, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: Disclosure Obligations Complicate Hill Staffers' Job Talks," Roll Call, January 14, 2008
"A Question of Ethics: 2007 in Review: A Year of Readers' Questions, Frustrations" Roll Call, December 17, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Running the Traps on the Need to Register" Roll Call, December 3, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Holiday Party Guest Lists: Check Them Twice" Roll Call, November 19, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Meals With Lobbyists Pose Unappetizing Compliance Questions" Roll Call, November 5, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Invitation to Charity Events Is Not an Ethics Free Pass" Roll Call, October 22, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: $250 Limit Covers All Personal Gifts to Members, Staffers " Roll Call, October 9, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Is It a Crime for Members to Violate the Gift Rules?" Roll Call, September 24, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Congress' Gift Rules Now Apply to Businesses," Roll Call, September 10, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Financial Disclosure Report Errors Can Have Consequences," Roll Call, August 6, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Will Ethics Committee Recommend Discipline in Vitter Case?," Roll Call, July 23, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Charity Events Are Exceptions to New Gift Ban Rules in the House," Roll Call, July 9, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Must Traffic Tickets Be Disclosed to Ethics Committee?," Roll Call, June 25, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Is It a Crime to Trade Votes for Earmarks?," Roll Call, June 11, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Rogers' Resolution Tests Breadth of Earmark Rules," Roll Call, May 29, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Accuracy, Not Deadline, Is Top Priority on Financial Disclosures," Roll Call, May 14, 2007)
"A Question of Ethics: Writers Beware of Honorarium Restrictions," Roll Call, April 30, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Congressional Offices Off-Limits for Members' Campaigns," Roll Call, April 16, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Warning: New Rules Could Snare Travel Sponsors," Roll Call, April 2, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Communications With Prosecutors Carry Risks," Roll Call, March 19, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Domestic Partners and Travel Reimbursement," Roll Call, March 5, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Who is Picking Up the Tab for Sunday Brunch?," Roll Call, February 20, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: Ethics Pitfalls Lie in Impromptu Super Bowl Gesture," Roll Call, February 5, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: 'Foreign Entity' Restrictions Apply to Some Departing Staff," Roll Call, January 22, 2007
"A Question of Ethics: With Focus on Ethics, 'Being Good' No Longer Good Enough," Roll Call, January 8, 2007
"The Criminalization of the CEO," Co-author, Briefly... Perspectives on Legislation, Regulation and Litigation, March 1, 2001
"Aberrant Behavior Departure: Issues to Consider," Co-author, Business Crimes Bulletin, March 2001

Speaking Engagements

"Congressional Ethics 2010 - Compliance for Businesses and Staffers," McGuireWoods Seminar, Washington, D.C., May 2010
"Spring is in the Air, but ICE Isn't Going Anywhere," McGuireWoods Immigration Compliance & Worksite Enforcement Seminar, Chicago, Illinois, March 2010
"Developing an Ethics Radar: Spotting Ethics Issues Before They Arise," GovMark Council Annual Offsite, Keswick, Virginia, December 2009
"It's Only Fall, but ICE is Already Here," McGuireWoods Immigration Compliance & Worksite Enforcement Seminar, Richmond, Virginia, October 2009
"Immigration Worksite Enforcement," Virginia CLE, Charlottesville, Virginia, August 2009
"Spring is in the Air, but ICE Isn't Going Anywhere," McGuireWoods Immigration Compliance & Worksite Enforcement Seminar, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 2009
"Congressional Gift Rules Seminar," Roll Call and McGuireWoods Seminar, Washington, D.C., September 2008
"Congressional Ethics, Events and Travel Rules," BNA Training Conference: The New Lobbying Law, Washington, D.C., May 2008
"Congressional Gift Rules 101: What Businesses Need to Know," McGuireWoods Web Conference, Washington, D.C., October 2007
"Congressional Ethics 101," George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, Washington, D.C., April 2007

EDUCATION

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.

University of Virginia, B.A., With Honors

ADMITTED

District of Columbia

Virginia

Massachusetts

Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

PLACE OF BIRTH

London, England