Peter Davidson, a former top lobbyist for Verizon Communications, was picked Monday for general counsel at the U.S. Commerce Department.

Davidson led Verizon's government affairs team in Washington for more than 14 years. His team has lobbied on issues that included email privacy, data security and net neutrality. Verizon Communications has reported nearly $10 million in lobbying expenses since April 2016, according to federal disclosures.

At Verizon, Davidson also lobbied on tax reform and the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a trade deal the United States exited shortly after President Donald Trump took office—cybersecurity and law enforcement access to data stored overseas, according to a recent lobbying disclosure.

“Twentieth century regulation is holding back a 21st century communications market,” Davidson wrote in a letter in 2013 to U.S. House members on the Energy and Commerce Committee. “It has been 17 years since Congress last significantly revamped the substantive provisions of the Communications Act.”

In the same letter, Davidson advocated for allowing more than two FCC commissioners to meet outside of a public meeting—a process reform that he said would lead to “more cooperation” and “more timely resolution of complex and contentious issues.”

Verizon was a lead plaintiff in challenging the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules, another area where Davidson has lobbied lawmakers, according to disclosure forms.

The FCC has moved to roll back those Obama-era rules. “By imposing those heavy-handed economic regulations on internet service providers big and small, we could end up disincentivizing companies from wanting to build out internet access to a lot of parts of the country, in low-income, urban and rural areas, for example,” FCC chairman Ajit Pai told PBS NewsHour in April.

From 2001 to 2003, Davidson served as general counsel to the U.S. Trade Representative. Before joining that agency, he worked on legislative initiatives for Qwest as the telecommunications company's vice president for congressional affairs.

Former general counsel to the Commerce Department include Lily Fu Claffee, now chief legal officer and general counsel to the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center. Cameron Kerry was general counsel to Commerce from 2009 to 2014. That September, he joined Sidley Austin's privacy and data security practice as senior counsel. Kerry was formerly a partner in the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo.

Peter Davidson, a former top lobbyist for Verizon Communications, was picked Monday for general counsel at the U.S. Commerce Department.

Davidson led Verizon's government affairs team in Washington for more than 14 years. His team has lobbied on issues that included email privacy, data security and net neutrality. Verizon Communications has reported nearly $10 million in lobbying expenses since April 2016, according to federal disclosures.

At Verizon, Davidson also lobbied on tax reform and the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a trade deal the United States exited shortly after President Donald Trump took office—cybersecurity and law enforcement access to data stored overseas, according to a recent lobbying disclosure.

“Twentieth century regulation is holding back a 21st century communications market,” Davidson wrote in a letter in 2013 to U.S. House members on the Energy and Commerce Committee. “It has been 17 years since Congress last significantly revamped the substantive provisions of the Communications Act.”

In the same letter, Davidson advocated for allowing more than two FCC commissioners to meet outside of a public meeting—a process reform that he said would lead to “more cooperation” and “more timely resolution of complex and contentious issues.”

Verizon was a lead plaintiff in challenging the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules, another area where Davidson has lobbied lawmakers, according to disclosure forms.

The FCC has moved to roll back those Obama-era rules. “By imposing those heavy-handed economic regulations on internet service providers big and small, we could end up disincentivizing companies from wanting to build out internet access to a lot of parts of the country, in low-income, urban and rural areas, for example,” FCC chairman Ajit Pai told PBS NewsHour in April.

From 2001 to 2003, Davidson served as general counsel to the U.S. Trade Representative. Before joining that agency, he worked on legislative initiatives for Qwest as the telecommunications company's vice president for congressional affairs.

Former general counsel to the Commerce Department include Lily Fu Claffee, now chief legal officer and general counsel to the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center. Cameron Kerry was general counsel to Commerce from 2009 to 2014. That September, he joined Sidley Austin's privacy and data security practice as senior counsel. Kerry was formerly a partner in the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo.