Widely recognized as an authority in environmental and natural resources law and policy, David Smith returned to Texas – and private practice – after more than a decade in public service in both Austin and Washington, D.C. Mr. Smith has dealt with all major Texas and federal natural resources agencies as counsel, policy advisor or appointed official. As a result, Mr. Smith has a keen understanding of complex regulatory issues and agency processes, as well as strong relationships with key agency personnel.

Mr. Smith served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior and Counselor for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, where he developed and oversaw implementation of policies for both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. In this capacity, he was a member of the Secretary of the Interior’s senior management team, working with political and career leadership across the Department of the Interior, the White House, Congress and other federal agencies. As former Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton noted, “David Smith has a national reputation as a problem-solver in conservation and parks management.” He has testified before both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and has delivered speeches and position papers to national and international audiences on such topics as the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Act, National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Park System, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Mr. Smith went to Washington as one of the Bush administration’s first appointees to the Department of the Interior, after serving on the Bush- Cheney Transition Team in late 2000 and early 2001. He previously served in the Appointments Office of then-Governor George W. Bush, overseeing all gubernatorial appointments in the areas of natural resources, conservation, real estate, housing, finance and water. Before devoting his career to public service, Smith was an attorney in private practice in Austin, where he concentrated on environmental and land-use issues on the federal, state and local levels.

Today, Mr. Smith counsels clients in dealings before Congress, the Texas Legislature, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as well as other federal and state agencies.