David A. Bono
Partner
Washington Office

David Bono represents business clients in complex and appellate litigation, and he advises them with respect to their federal regulatory obligations. In his trial-level work, for example, Mr. Bono successfully argued on behalf of a coalition of the nation’s thirty-six largest railroads for a nationwide injunction against a possible labor strike. His representation before the United States Supreme Court has included a case affirming the federal courts' inherent power to impose sanctions for bad-faith conduct, and the Court appointed Mr. Bono in another case to brief the constitutional rights of property owners. His regulatory advice has included environmental and securities matters.

Mr. Bono is a former trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., where he represented the interests of federal agencies, Cabinet officers and other Executive Branch officials with respect to federal regulations, statutes and policies. For example, he was lead trial counsel for the Secretary of Transportation, the Attorney General, and the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Justice in the federal lawsuit that prevented the Exxon Valdez from returning to Prince William Sound, Alaska. He also represented the Secretary of Energy in litigation seeking $120 million for his alleged wrongful termination of a contract to purchase electricity.

Mr. Bono graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in 1982, with double majors in Public Policy Studies and Economics. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1986, where he was an Editor of the Harvard Law Review and placed second in the Williston Negotiation Competition. He served as a law clerk to The Honorable Edward R. Becker, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Bars of the United States Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.