W. Davis Smith

W. Davis Smith is vice president and associate general counsel for Sempra Energy, and general counsel for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), Sempra Energy’s regulated California utilities. Sempra Energy is a San Diego-based Fortune 500 energy services holding company whose subsidiaries provide electricity, natural gas and value-added products and services. The Sempra Energy companies' 13,800 employees serve more than 29 million consumers worldwide.

In his current role, Smith is responsible for the legal affairs for the Sempra Energy utilities.

Previously, Smith was a litigation attorney for Pacific Enterprises, the former parent company of SoCalGas. While at Pacific Enterprises, he represented the company before the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He also served as chief counsel for the Pacific Enterprises Energy Companies and was responsible for the merger and acquisition of Pacific Enterprises’ oil- and gas-exploration companies and Sempra Energy’s acquisition of gas utility companies in Argentina.

Prior to joining Pacific Enterprises, Smith worked in corporate law for Litton Industries and was in private litigation practice.

Smith has a law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. He also has a master’s degree in business administration from California State University and a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Smith is a board member of the Constitutional Rights Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to using the law to address social issues; the California Minority Counsel Program, which is dedicated to advancing diverse attorneys in California; and the Civil Justice Association of California, which works to reduce excessive and unwarranted litigation.