David advises companies across all stages of the business life cycle – from early-stage ventures to mature enterprises. He represents start-ups, corporations, and investment funds in a range of transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings (including convertible notes, SAFEs, and Series Preferred rounds), venture capital and private equity fund formations, commercial transactions, corporate governance, and business succession planning.
Immediately prior to joining Michael Best, David served as a Managing Attorney at the Forrest Firm, a boutique corporate law firm. After graduating from Duke Law School, David joined UBS Investment Bank where he assisted multinational clients in analyzing, structuring, and executing M&A transactions from the firm’s New York and Tokyo offices. He then spent a decade as a managing director and general counsel at a Midwest-based private equity firm focused on investing in companies operating in the manufacturing, commercial services, technology and healthcare sectors. David began his career as a commercial banker at a predecessor firm of JP Morgan Chase, providing market and financial analyses to senior real estate and private equity bankers.
A seasoned legal and business educator, David taught at Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and Tulane University on topics related to mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. He previously served as the Assistant Director and Senior Research Fellow for the Duke Global Capital Markets Center, a joint research center of the Fuqua School of Business and Duke Law School.