Doug Davis (businessman)

Early life and education

Davis was born in New York City, the son of Clive Davis and Janet Adelberg Davis. He attended Dwight School in New York. Davis graduated from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science, and from Fordham University School of Law with a Juris Doctor.

Business career

Davis is the founder and owner of The Davis Firm, PLLC, a prominent music, entertainment and sports law firm. The Davis Firm focuses primarily on the music industry’s most successful artists, record producers, songwriters, executives, as well as television production companies, video game companies, actors, trend-making contemporary painters. Additionally, Davis is a licensed NBA player agent representing new, star and veteran players, who negotiated Metta World Peace's agreement with the New York Knicks. Davis is also the executive producer of the legendary annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala. Davis co-curated along with Roger Gastman Work In Progress, an art gallery and marketplace event from November 27 - December 27, 2015 in Downtown Los Angeles featuring artists Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari, Revok, POSE, Tasya van Ree, Sage Vaughn and others.

In 2014-2015, Davis pursued the purchase of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks basketball team.

Philanthropy

A prominent philanthropist, Davis sits on boards of the Music For Youth Foundation, the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University and Fuck Cancer. Davis has been a featured speaker at events for ASCAP, Brooklyn Law School, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, the Copyright Society of the USA (CSUSA) and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Davis serves on the Executive Committee of the City of Hope National Medical Center, on the Entertainment Committee for the annual Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Gala and has chaired fundraising events for the UJA-Federation of New York, MusiCares, the Drug Policy Alliance and Songs Of Hope. Davis has appeared on both The Celebrity Apprentice 4 and All-Star Celebrity Apprentice where Davis made sizable donations to the American Diabetes Association, in honor of his nephew Matthew Reicher who suffers with the disease, and The Center for Head Injury Services in honor of Gary Busey. Davis was a founding board member of the Forum on Law, Culture & Society, a position he held for 10 years.

In 2016, Billboard magazine named Davis to its list of top philanthropists in music.

Media, Awards and Honors

Davis has been featured in stories in and for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and ESPN The Magazine, amongst others, and in Jeff Rabhan's book "Cool Jobs In The Music Business". In 2012 The Hollywood Reporter called Davis’s Twitter (@DJD) one of the "Top 5 Music Power" accounts.

In 2013, the UJA-Federation of New York named Davis one of the 40 Under 40 Top Industry Leaders.

In 2014, the Amsterdam News honored Davis with the Amsterdam News' Entrepreneur Award at its 105th Anniversary Gala, along with Hazel Nell Dukes and Ken Sunshine.

In 2015, the American Cancer Society honored Davis at the Riviera Ball.

In 2016, Billboard magazine proclaimed Davis one of the top Power Lawyers in music the 2017 Best Lawyers in America© recognized Mr. Davis for Entertainment Law – Music and debra Of America honored Davis with its Corporate Hero Award.

Personal life

Davis has one child, a daughter named Billie.