Mr. Davey served as assistant prosecuting attorney with the Oakland County Prosecutors Office from 1971 through 1976. During his tenure with the prosecutor’s office, he was appointed senior trial attorney and successfully prosecuted several highly publicized criminal trials on behalf of the State of Michigan.
During his time at Kemp Klein, he has been lead counsel in a wide variety of civil cases including complex construction litigation and federal securities law disputes. He has represented a major television network on libel, slander and first amendment issues. In addition, he has tried trade secret, non-compete and trademark infringement cases, minority oppression, C Corporations, contracts, franchise, employment, insurance, environmental and other business disputes.
Mr. Davey has extensive experience in the following environmental areas: Comprehensive Environmental Response and Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Clean Water and Air Act, and Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA).
He has been involved in both litigation and transactional matters not only in the State of Michigan, but also in Kentucky, Indiana and Florida. He has consulted at length with various types of clients in transactional matters, and has negotiated and dealt with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality on numerous occasions.
Mr. Davey’s comprehensive litigation background in both State and Federal courts provides him with a unique perspective to counsel clients with diverse environmental problems and issues. His broad business expertise enables him to successfully assist clients in acquiring contaminated real estate at low dollar amount, then turn the property around to yield a viable business for the owner.
Since 1980, Mr. Davey has been active with diverse forms of alternative dispute resolution as an advocate for clients, and as a mediator. He has been a frequent mediator for both the general and complex contract panels of the Oakland County Circuit Court and has been appointed to the Wayne County Circuit Court Mediation Panel.
Education
J.D., University of Detroit, 1971
B.S., Michigan State University, 1968
Bar and Court Admissions
State Bar of Michigan, 1971
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Judicial Circuit, 2001
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Judicial Circuit, 2002
Memberships
State Bar of Michigan (Member, Environmental Law, Business Law, Franchise and Litigation Sections) Oakland County Bar Association (Member, Environmental Law and Litigation Sections)
James Davey maintains an “AV” peer review rating with Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the highest peer review rating for attorneys.
DBusiness Magazine recognized Mr. Davey as a 2025 DBusiness Top Lawyer for his work in Construction Litigation.
Mr. Davey has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Edition for his work in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Construction Litigation.
