David J. Kaufman is a Partner at Thompson Coburn LLP in Chicago, where he co-chairs the firm’s national Corporate and Securities practice group. A seasoned corporate and transactional attorney, David brings extensive governance experience to the boardroom, having served as a director for both public and private companies. He routinely advises boards of directors, board committees, and officers on fiduciary duties, corporate governance obligations, contests for corporate control and other complex governance matters.
David currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Zacks Trust, a trust for a series of exchange-traded Zacks Investment Management-advised ETFs and mutual funds (with AUM of $800M), a position he has held since 2021. He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Governing Board for American Intercontinental University, a regionally accredited institution owned by Career Education Corporation (now Perdoceo Education Corporation; Nasdaq: PRDO), for nine years. He also served as Chairman of the Governing Board of Trustees for Colorado Technical University, another regionally accredited PRDO institution, for eight years. Additionally, David served as Chairman of the Board for Western International University, a regionally accredited institution owned by Apollo Global Management (now owned by The Vistria Group), for five years.
In his legal practice, David spearheads mergers and acquisitions transactions, represents private equity participants in transactions and handles complex domestic and cross-border deals across a range of industries. He represents both buyers and sellers, bringing a 360-degree perspective to all facets of transactional work. David also represents issuers and underwriters in primary and secondary offerings of equity and debt and advises investors on security investments in public companies. Financial advisors frequently seek his direction in rendering fairness and solvency opinions across a variety of transaction and industries.
David is recognized as a leader in his field, having been listed among Notable M&A Dealmakers by Crain’s Chicago Business (2025), in The Legal 500 — Elite City Focus for Chicago: Corporate and M&A (2025), in The Best Lawyers in America® (2023–2026), and in Chambers USA for Corporate/M&A in Illinois. He has also been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer .
David is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section, where he previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Business Law Today and as Chair of the Strategic Communication Committee.
David earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1990, a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) from the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in 1986, and a B.A. (with distinction and honors in Political Science) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1985. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and the Western District of Michigan.
