Dave graduated magna cum laude from Vermont Law School. During law school, he worked as an intern for Justice Melissa Hart of the Colorado Supreme Court, and the Western Environmental Law Center in Montana. Prior to joining Cain & Skarnulis PLLC, Dave clerked for Judge Sueanna P. Johnson of the Colorado Court of Appeals, which enabled him to gain substantial experience in the appellate process.

Before pursuing a second career as an attorney, Dave worked as an ecologist. He graduated from the University of Surrey at Roehampton with a B.Sc. in Zoology and an M.Sc. in Biodiversity and Conservation. He then attended the University of South Florida, where he earned a Ph.D. in Biology, before working as a research associate at the University of Maryland. His scientific research has been covered by BBC News, National Geographic, and the Washington Post, and he served as a consultant on the documentaries America the Beautiful, Plants Behaving Badly, and Swamplands USA. Dave is also a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest active society devoted to natural history.

Dave is a member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, and the Colorado Bar Association’s Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy, and Water Law Sections. He is also an appointed member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ World Commission on Environmental Law. He is licensed to practice in the courts of the state of Colorado, as well as admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Dave is based out of the firm's Colorado office.

Publications: 

• Journey to the center of a clean energy economy: Preparing to harness geothermal power, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, & Resources, 55 Trends 12 (September/October 2023)
• Gray wolf reintroduction in Colorado: History, management, and law, 52 Colorado Lawyer 22 (September 2023) 
• Stepbrothers: Can we reconcile the growing demand for offshore wind energy with marine conservation? ABA Section of Environment, Energy, & Resources, 54 Trends 11 (July/August 2023).
• Remembering Don Baur (1954-2022). ABA Section of Environment, Energy, & Resources, Marine Resources Committee Articles (June 2023)