Carey S. Davis
Of Counsel
Carey S. Davis
Of Counsel
Carey S. Davis serves as Of Counsel to the Houston, Texas law firm of Pagel, Davis & Hill (“PDH”), a Professional Corporation. Mr. Davis joined the firm in 1988, and served as a Partner through 2021. Helping people grow their business is one of his passions. His professional focus and legal practice is helping entrepreneurs with their complex legal needs—from start-up, through growing the company, expanding market share and finally mapping out a strategy for either selling their business or passing it on to the next generation.
Properly preparing your company for sale before soliciting offers is often the key to maximizing the final purchase price. Mr. Davis helps business owners make those key “pre-sale” business decisions. If you have a family-owned business, selling may not be the right choice. Deciding on a plan to pass the business from one generation to the next involves complex legal and estate planning questions. He guides family-owned enterprises on solving the complex issues of generational governance and creating and implementing a strategic plan for successful family-business continuation.
Sometimes the entrepreneur’s success involves protecting his or her business in commercial litigation. Mr. Davis represents companies in commercial business litigation before various state and federal district courts. His experience in both the litigation and corporate arenas helps him advise clients how to anticipate legal and business problems and guard against the protracted nature of litigation.
As one of the managing shareholders of the firm’s “My General Counsel” practice group, he serves clients in many different industries as outside general counsel, managing a wide variety of legal and business needs. Small to medium-sized business owners are forced to wear a variety of different “hats” on a daily basis. By participating with a client’s management team as outside general counsel or on an advisory board, he is able to learn the intricacies of a client’s business—and their challenges. With this in-depth knowledge he is able to help the business owners make key decisions necessary for success.
J.D., University of Houston School of Law, 1980
- J. Wiley Caldwell Scholarship Award winner
B.A. with special honors, University of Texas at Austin, 1977
- Licensed to Practice Law in the State of Texas, 1980
- Admitted: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Admitted: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Admitted: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- Admitted: United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Admitted: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
In working with business owners as a trusted advisor, he has gained insight into a wide variety of industries including: industrial services; software development; manufacturing; oil and gas; alternative energy; health care; and distribution. This experience enables him to give legal advice on corporate legal matters, with a particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions; financings (debt and equity); contract negotiation and documentation; OSHA matters; intellectual property; employment and non-compete matters; and general day-to-day corporate counseling.
He has worked side-by-side with management teams of companies in all shapes and sizes—from the start-up to publicly-traded businesses. But regardless of the size of the enterprise, he has strived to build strong personal relationships with his clients and enjoys making a difference in their business lives.
- Assisted client in multi-million dollar simultaneous acquisition of two separate companies—including separate warehouse, office and equipment purchases; involving Senior and Mezzanine debt.
- Assisted entrepreneurial client in multi-million dollar purchase of product line from publicly-traded entity.
- Led the acquisition program for distribution client buying businesses in: Dallas; Ft. Worth; Austin; San Antonio; El Paso; Albuquerque; Phoenix, and Tucson.
- Acquisition of environmental services technology and operating company for publicly-traded client.
- Assisted multiple clients in obtaining Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) certifications.
- Assisted in sale of software suite and intellectual property for client to Microsoft.
- Successful completion of multi-million dollar sale of retail operations of client to publicly-traded company.
- Successfully defended a large industrial services client in a complex insurance premium and deductible dispute.
- Successfully defended an OSHA action on an industrial accident death case.
- Successfully defended a client in a complex, multiparty Solid Waste Disposal Act claim.
- Led the organization, search for venture capital, mezzanine capital and senior debt for multi-million dollar start-up energy client.
- Assisted in the sale of a large, family-owned business, which included multi-state operations, offices, warehouses and regulatory licenses to a large national strategic buyer.
- Purchase of a strategic acquisition through a complicated secured creditor arrangement in the distribution business.
- Assisted in the sale of an oil and gas software company to an international buyer.
- Assisted in the sale of a distribution company to a strategic buyer.
- Led the successful defense of a client sued over intellectual property by a strategic competitor.
- Represented multiple clients in disputes with insurance carriers.
- Represented multiple clients in disputes over acquisitions—including favorable outcomes in arbitration, mediation, and litigation.
- Guest lecturer at the Houston Business Roundtable on Construction Contracts
- Frequent lecturer and trainer on Employment Law
- Member of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
- Member of the Houston Technology Center
- Preferred Provider for the University of Houston Small Business Development Center
Carey S. Davis is a Shareholder of the Houston, Texas law firm of Pagel, Davis & Hill (“PDH”), a Professional Corporation. Mr. Davis joined the firm in 1988. Helping people grow their business is one of his passions. His professional focus and legal practice is helping entrepreneurs with their complex legal needs—from start-up, through growing the company, expanding market share and finally mapping out a strategy for either selling their business or passing it on to the next generation.
Properly preparing your company for sale before soliciting offers is often the key to maximizing the final purchase price. Mr. Davis helps business owners make those key “pre-sale” business decisions. If you have a family-owned business, selling may not be the right choice. Deciding on a plan to pass the business from one generation to the next involves complex legal and estate planning questions. He guides family-owned enterprises on solving the complex issues of generational governance and creating and implementing a strategic plan for successful family-business continuation.
Sometimes the entrepreneur’s success involves protecting his or her business in commercial litigation. Mr. Davis represents companies in commercial business litigation before various state and federal district courts. His experience in both the litigation and corporate arenas helps him advise clients how to anticipate legal and business problems and guard against the protracted nature of litigation.
As one of the managing shareholders of the firm’s “My General Counsel” practice group, he serves clients in many different industries as outside general counsel, managing a wide variety of legal and business needs. Small to medium-sized business owners are forced to wear a variety of different “hats” on a daily basis. By participating with a client’s management team as outside general counsel or on an advisory board, he is able to learn the intricacies of a client’s business—and their challenges. With this in-depth knowledge he is able to help the business owners make key decisions necessary for success.
J.D., University of Houston School of Law, 1980
- J. Wiley Caldwell Scholarship Award winner
B.A. with special honors, University of Texas at Austin, 1977
- Licensed to Practice Law in the State of Texas, 1980
- Admitted: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Admitted: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Admitted: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- Admitted: United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Admitted: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
In working with business owners as a trusted advisor, he has gained insight into a wide variety of industries including: industrial services; software development; manufacturing; oil and gas; alternative energy; health care; and distribution. This experience enables him to give legal advice on corporate legal matters, with a particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions; financings (debt and equity); contract negotiation and documentation; OSHA matters; intellectual property; employment and non-compete matters; and general day-to-day corporate counseling.
He has worked side-by-side with management teams of companies in all shapes and sizes—from the start-up to publicly-traded businesses. But regardless of the size of the enterprise, he has strived to build strong personal relationships with his clients and enjoys making a difference in their business lives.
- Assisted client in multi-million dollar simultaneous acquisition of two separate companies—including separate warehouse, office and equipment purchases; involving Senior and Mezzanine debt.
- Assisted entrepreneurial client in multi-million dollar purchase of product line from publicly-traded entity.
- Led the acquisition program for distribution client buying businesses in: Dallas; Ft. Worth; Austin; San Antonio; El Paso; Albuquerque; Phoenix, and Tucson.
- Acquisition of environmental services technology and operating company for publicly-traded client.
- Assisted multiple clients in obtaining Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) certifications.
- Assisted in sale of software suite and intellectual property for client to Microsoft.
- Successful completion of multi-million dollar sale of retail operations of client to publicly-traded company.
- Successfully defended a large industrial services client in a complex insurance premium and deductible dispute.
- Successfully defended an OSHA action on an industrial accident death case.
- Successfully defended a client in a complex, multiparty Solid Waste Disposal Act claim.
- Led the organization, search for venture capital, mezzanine capital and senior debt for multi-million dollar start-up energy client.
- Assisted in the sale of a large, family-owned business, which included multi-state operations, offices, warehouses and regulatory licenses to a large national strategic buyer.
- Purchase of a strategic acquisition through a complicated secured creditor arrangement in the distribution business.
- Assisted in the sale of an oil and gas software company to an international buyer.
- Assisted in the sale of a distribution company to a strategic buyer.
- Led the successful defense of a client sued over intellectual property by a strategic competitor.
- Represented multiple clients in disputes with insurance carriers.
- Represented multiple clients in disputes over acquisitions—including favorable outcomes in arbitration, mediation, and litigation.
- Guest lecturer at the Houston Business Roundtable on Construction Contracts
- Frequent lecturer and trainer on Employment Law
- Member of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
- Member of the Houston Technology Center
- Preferred Provider for the University of Houston Small Business Development Center