Francis Nehemiah Bangs (February 23, 1828 – November 30, 1885) was an American lawyer who founded the Wall Street law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell.

His father, Nathan Bangs, was a well-known Methodist minister from Stratford, Connecticut.

[1] He joined the bar in 1849 and practiced law with several partners before ultimately partnering with Francis Lynde Stetson to form the law firm Bangs & Stetson, a precursor to the modern firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell.

[2] Despite lifelong health problems, he developed a prosperous practice in New York representing large business interests, and came to prominence after being appointed counsel to the assignee of the dissolved law firm of Ketchum, Son & Co. in 1853.

He was a founding member of the New York City Bar Association, and its president from 1882 to 1883.