David Bernstein is a Counsel in the Firm’s Business Law department, and a member of its Real Estate Industry group. He is a corporate and transactional lawyer who specializes in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, securities transactions, and corporate governance. He joined Goodwin in 2015.
Experience
Through the years, David has been the lead lawyer on a wide variety of transactions, many of them involving acquisitions or sales of publicly traded companies and acquisitions by European and Asian clients of companies in the United States. He has also acted as a regular advisor to the Boards of Directors of New York Stock Exchange-listed and other publicly traded companies. Major clients have included AB Volvo, Annaly Capital Management, Avis, Caesars World, Inc., Deutsche Lufthansa, First BanCorp, Lennar Corporation, Merrill Lynch (both in its investment banking capacity and in acquisitions of other financial firms), Takata Corporation, United Biscuits, and Westwood One.
Professional Activities
American Bar Association, Section on Business Law
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Goodwin, David was a partner in K&L Gates, LLC. Before that he was a partner at Rogers & Wells where, before its merger with Clifford Chance, David formed the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group and for nine years headed the firm's Corporate Department, which consisted of all the transactional areas other than real estate and taxes, and included approximately 40% of the firm's lawyers.
Credentials
Education
LLB1962
Harvard Law School
BA1959
Harvard College
Admissions
Bars
- New York
Courts
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Recognition & Awards
David has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for his work in Corporate Law 2022-2023.
David has been included in Best Lawyers In America every year for more than 30 years. He is also included in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.
Publications
David has published more than 30 articles, many of them in The International Financial Law Review. Currently he authors a quarterly column for The International Financial Law Review on matters relating to corporate governance.
Author, “U.S. Court Rulings Bring Board Oversight Into the Spotlight,” International Financial Law Review, 12.20.22