Michael W. Davis is a partner in the firm and concentrates his practice in the areas of environmental, municipal, agribusiness, real estate and higher education. As chair of the firm’s Environmental Group, Mike has extensive experience in handling issues regarding Act 2 (including attaining relief of liability and Act 2 Buyer-Seller Agreements), HSCA, TSCA, RCRA, CERCLA, the Nutrient Management Act and Act 6 compliance, the Chesapeake Bay Strategy Initiative, Marcellus Shale leasing and fracking agreements, and environmental regulatory compliance issues including EPCRA Section 313 Form R reporting issues. As a result of his 20 years of practice in the environmental area, Mike is well-versed in interfacing with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on these matters. Recently, Mike has handled high profile environmental projects including the Northwest Gateway Project and the Turkey Hill Experience, among others.  

• The Northwest Gateway Project is a two phase project that involves the restructuring and redevelopment of an entire quadrant of the City of Lancaster. Mike has served as the primary counsel for the project partners on both phases of the Project. The first phase included the redevelopment of a 47-acre portion of the former Armstrong World Industries, Inc.’s Liberty Street Flooring Plant. Working on behalf of Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster General Hospital and EDC Finance Corporation, Mike assisted in securing and negotiating appropriate legal documentation for federal, state and local funding including Business In Our Sites and Growing Greener II funding. Mike secured the rezoning of the 47-acre parcel as well as an Act 2 Buyer-Seller Agreement for impacted soils and groundwater at the site. Mike also negotiated appropriate agreements with the impacted municipalities to assure coordinated development of the site and related infrastructure improvements. The second phase of the Project involves the relocation of Norfolk Southern Railway Company’s Dillerville Rail Yard. On behalf of Franklin & Marshall College and Lancaster General Hospital, Mike successfully negotiated a Master Development Agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company that details the process for the development and construction of the new rail yard over a former municipal landfill with the existing Dillerville Rail Yard then transferring to the College and the Hospital. This second phase of the Project involves securing Act 2 clearance for the new rail yard site and significant infrastructure improvements. When complete, this $70 million plus project will transform the northwest quadrant of the City of Lancaster and will provide Franklin & Marshall College and Lancaster General Hospital with the opportunity to develop a state-of-the-art “Meds and Eds” campus. 

• The Turkey Hill Experience project is a private/public partnership aimed at redeveloping an abandoned industrial facility in Columbia Borough, Lancaster County into a major tourist attraction. Mike was retained by the Borough to provide guidance on Act 2 issues and the site clean-up plan. Mike successfully negotiated an Act 2 Buyer-Seller Agreement positioning this unique project to move forward to completion.

In his municipal practice, Mike focuses on the representation of public bodies including boroughs, municipal authorities, economic development companies and zoning hearing boards. Mike works closely with municipal officials and staff  in dealing with public bidding issues, the Sunshine Law, the Right-to-Know Law, the Ethics Act, the Eminent Domain Code, zoning determinations, permitting issues, Environmental Hearing Board proceedings, DEP enforcement actions, leasing issues, reviewing and revising bid specifications and construction contracts, vendor contracts and personnel issues. 

• Mike also serves as the solicitor for the Letterkenny Industrial Development Authority (LIDA) in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  LIDA is a local reuse authority under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) regulations and is responsible for the development of the Cumberland Valley Business Park. As solicitor, Mike negotiated with the United States Environmental Protection Agency one of the only depth limited conveyances of real estate in the United States under the BRAC guidelines and finalized the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Defense and LIDA. In addition, Mike provides guidance on LIDA board of director issues and prepares appropriate legal documents to facilitate the transfer of the BRAC property from LIDA to third parties within the business park.

• In a recent prominent takings case, Mike served as a primary counsel to Lauxmont Holdings, LLC, the developer and condemnee, in both the validity and valuation trials regarding 79 acres of land at the Lauxmont Farms property (“Highpoint”) in Lower Windsor Township, York County, Pennsylvania. This highly controversial case involved York County’s taking of land for a public park where the land in question was approved for development and under development by Lauxmont Holdings. While the Court of Common Pleas upheld the taking, a York County jury awarded Lauxmont Holdings a judgment of $17.25 million plus interest at the conclusion of the valuation trial. The County’s initial offer of just compensation was only $2.0 million.

• Villanova University School of Law, J.D.
• Franklin & Marshall College, B.A., Phi Beta Kappa

• Lancaster Family YMCA; former board member

• Pennsylvania
• U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Borough Solicitor's Association
• Pennsylvania and Lancaster Bar Associations

• Penn State University Continuing Education Program for Realtors (Instructor)