William Anthony (“Tony”) Davis has been with the firm since 1976. He is a senior partner and has served on the firm’s Executive Committee. Tony’s practice is devoted to civil litigation with emphasis on natural resources law, business litigation, accountant’s professional liability, environmental law, insurance, municipal law, and products liability. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Alabama, as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Tony represents professionals including accountants, bankers, and business interests across the State of Alabama in Federal, state and bankruptcy courts. He has broad experience in complex litigation involving banking, finance, accounting, and general business matters. The Alabama Supreme Court recently upheld a motion for summary judgment ruling in favor of Tony’s client in an accounting matter involving financial papers, audits, and sub-prime loans.
Tony has wide experience in representing mining and mineral companies in various aspects, including mineral rights, contractual issues, environmental and toxic tort issues, employment, condemnation and worker’s compensation matters. Tony has also handled a wide array of commercial litigation, including the handling of cases for the insurance, banking, and accounting-related industries.
Professional Recognition
•Super Lawyer in Alabama by Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine for Bet-the-Company-Litigation and Energy & Natural Resources in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition, and has been recognized for Energy & Natural Resources in Super Lawyers, Business Edition .
•'Litigation Star' for the state of Alabama in Benchmark Litigation.
•Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Litigation, Municipal Litigation, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, and Workers' Compensation. In addition, Best Lawyers in America has named Tony Davis the “Birmingham Best Lawyers Natural Resources Lawyer of the Year” for 2013 and 2014 and 'Birmingham Best Lawyers Municipal Lawyer of the Year' for 2022.
•An AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings TM
•An AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings TM
•Omicron Delta Kappa.
Highlights
•Obtained a jury verdict worth more than $50 million in favor of a multinational corporation against one of the three largest railroad companies in the United States in a dispute involving a long-term contract for rail transportation. Argued the appeal before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, resulting in a complete affirmance of the judgment.
•Secured a multimillion dollar judgment in favor of a multinational corporation in a case involving a contract for port throughput capacity and the international export of metallurgical coal.
•Secured an $8.3 million dollar judgment in favor of a multinational corporation in a case involving a contract for port throughput capacity and the international export of metallurgical coal. The case was tried in the Northern District of Georgia, and the judgment was affirmed on appeal in a published opinion, Southern Coal Corp. v. Drummond Coal Sales, Inc., 28 F.4th 1334 (11th Cir. 2022), in which the appellate court also found that our client was entitled to attorneys’ fees and litigation costs in addition to the judgment amount.
•Secured the dismissal of a federal RICO lawsuit seeking more than $100,000,000 in damages from eleven defendants that included both corporate entities and individuals.
•Obtained complete summary judgment in favor of accounting firm and two of its accountants on claims brought by a property developer arising out of the alleged mishandling of a multi-million dollar tax deduction for the donation of interests in mountain property.
•Obtained a judgment as a matter of law on all claims in favor of their clients, an investment consulting firm and its affiliated companies, when plaintiff rested its case after eight days of trial. Plaintiff, a competitor company, was seeking $7 million in compensatory damages in addition to punitive damages for alleged violations of the Alabama Trade Secrets Act and conspiracy to breach fiduciary duties arising out of the hiring of a group of investment advisors away from the plaintiff.
•Currently representing developers and general contractors in numerous State and Federal claims regarding allegations that toxic Chinese Drywall was utilized in properties owned by the Claimants.
•Obtained a summary judgment in favor of a coal mining company in a seven-year case arising from disputes over leases and agreements dating back to the late 1960’s.
•Obtained a jury verdict in a historical matter involving claims brought under the Alien Tort Statute, a 218 year old law.
•Represented City of Mountain Brook in rezoning of ten acre parcel for commercial use.
News & Insights
•Benchmark Litigation 2026 Ranks Starnes Davis Florie as a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm
•35 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2026
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked as a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm in the 2025 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•33 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2025
•SDF Sponsors the 2024 UA School of Law BLSA Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet & Congratulates Alfred Perkins on the Gail K. Johnson Award
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked as a “Highly Recommended Litigation Firm” in the 2024 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•30 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2024
•30 SDF ATTORNEYS LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 2023
•Davis, Wells & Presley Win Appeal for Multinational Corporation
•STARNES RANKED AS A “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FIRM” IN THE 2022 EDITION OF BENCHMARK LITIGATION
•TONY DAVIS & CHRIS EAGAN NAMED BEST LAWYERS “2022 LAWYER OF THE YEAR”
•29 SDF ATTORNEYS LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 2022
•DAVIS, WELLS, AND PRESLEY SECURE AFFIRMANCE OF A JUDGMENT WORTH MORE THAN $45 MILLION DOLLARS FOR A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION
•Starnes Ranked as a “Highly Recommended Firm” in the 2021 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•SDF’s Davis, Wells, and Presley Secure a Judgment in Favor of a Multinational Corporation
•Twenty-Six SDF Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2021
•SDF Attorneys Davis, Wells & Presley Secure a Complete Dismissal of a Federal RICO Lawsuit Seeking More than $100,000,000 in Damages
•SDF’s Tony Davis, Trey Wells, and Ben Presley Secure Jury Verdict in Favor of Multinational Corporation
•Thirty SDF Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers 2020
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked in the 2019 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
