Robert F. Davis

Areas of Concentration
Mr. Davis focuses particularly in the areas of zoning and real property law, as well as civil litigation and appeals. If you are an owner or developer seeking subdivision and site plan approvals, special permits, or variances anywhere in Westchester, Putnam, or Duchess Counties, Mr. Davis will serve your needs well. His litigation practice involves a wide array of real property and land use matters; contract, business and construction disputes; landlord/tenant matters; adjoining property issues; and foreclosures.

When analyzing client matters, Mr. Davis draws on his extensive experience to tailor a creative solution that works well on “both sides of the fence.” He prepares carefully, and effectively uses a pre-emptive comprehensive approach to guide a project team from administrative review all the way through to an expeditious and successful conclusion. A professional’s professional, engineers, architects, and other attorneys often call upon Mr. Davis to help their clients sort out intricate land use issues. Mr. Davis particularly enjoys the challenge of obtaining approvals for complex and difficult properties.

Mr. Davis personally handles any litigation related to his clients’ applications, and has been involved in hundreds of “Article 78” proceedings. He is attorney of record in over 60 reported court decisions and has argued dozens of appeals, many of which were a catalyst for a change in or augmentation of State law.

For over 25 years before joining our firm, Mr. Davis was a named partner in the well-known Mount Kisco land use and litigation firm headed by eminent zoning attorney, Stuart Shamberg. He has served as counsel to co-ops and condominiums, a public housing authority, a Section 8 housing complex, and an operator of fitness clubs. He has also served as special zoning counsel to the Town of Eastchester. He has lectured and written about land use, environmental, and property law, and is especially interested in animal issues.

Mr. Davis is a member of the New York State Bar Association (Real Property, Environmental, and Municipal Law Sections) and the Westchester and Northern Westchester Bar Associations.

Long afforded Martindale Hubbell’s highest “AV” peer review ranking, Mr. Davis was named a 2015 New York “Top Ranking Lawyer” in Land Use and Zoning Law in the National and American Law Journals.

Education
Mr. Davis is a summa cum laude graduate of the State University of New York at Albany (B.A. 1974) and a distinguished graduate of Long Island University (M.B.A. “with distinction” 1980). He graduated cum laude from Pace University School of Law (J.D. 1979).

Outside Interests
Mr. Davis has been a long-time member of the Board of Directors and sponsor for both the Food Bank for Westchester and the Westchester Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. For many years, he served as a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the American Arbitration Association’s Construction and Mediation Panels. He is also a member of the Westchester County Bar Association’s Grievance and Lawyer Referral Panels and the 9th Judicial District’s Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Panel.

A lifelong Westchester resident, Bob grew up in Peekskill. For the past 25 years, he has lived in Somers. Bob spends his free time playing with his dogs and cats, biking, gardening, and weightlifting. A lover of good books, films, and music, Bob is currently learning to play the piano and has also been known to cook a fabulous meal or two. He is a diehard Mets and Jets fan.