A former successful entrepreneur, David’s business experience enables him to provide more insightful and useful legal advice to companies in the U.S. and abroad.
Overview
David’s practice focuses primarily on corporate formation and governance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private equity and venture capital investments and securities law compliance. He also routinely serves in a general counsel capacity to private companies, providing strategic legal advice to senior management and boards on various general corporate and risk management matters.
Serving as the co-chair of the firm's Venture Capital and Emerging Companies practice group, David represents venture capital funds, family offices and VC-backed emerging companies in connection with their fundraising, governance and investment activities. This work includes private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and strategic investors in complex leveraged buyouts, acquisitions, dispositions, carve-outs and other investments.
Additionally, David works with early-stage companies developing blockchain technologies and tokenization models, counseling them on securities, broker-dealer, transactional, privacy and intellectual property matters.
David's work in the firm's Governance practice includes routinely advising boards of directors and senior executives on a full range of corporate governance issues that confront both nonprofit and for-profit companies. He regularly provides strategic legal advice on board structure and composition, self-evaluations for boards and committees, senior executive and director compensation policies and planning, best practices, and corporate risk identification and management. He has a developing ethical, social and governance practice and is currently working with an early stage company in the blockchain space to draft an ESG policy within its corporate governance structure.
David is active in the community, having served as counsel to a nonprofit organization in Kansas City that offers programs for the young survivors of abuse, neglect and trauma, and to the Kansas City Asian Chamber of Commerce, advising on its formation and chapter organization.
Experience
Served as local counsel to affiliates of a global consumer products company in connection with a tender offer to purchase outstanding senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of $285 million, and solicited consents to amend the indentures governing those notes.
Represented a major beer and premium beverage distributor in the acquisition of a competitor in an adjacent territory to expand its dominant market share in the region.
Served as counsel to a closely held company in the sale of its outstanding stock to a subsidiary of a publicly-held waste management services company.
Served as counsel to a company in its acquisition of multiple properties, corporate infrastructure and leadership as part of its strategy to enter the motion picture industry.
Served as lead counsel in the sale of a billing and collection software company in the healthcare industry.
Represented management in the purchase of assets and operations of a leading national search and recruiting firm.
Represented an investment group in the negotiation and purchase of the parent holding company's stock in a subsidiary community bank.
Served as lead counsel to a financial technology company in its issuance of Series A Preferred Stock.
Served as lead counsel to a mobile app developer in its issuance of Series A Preferred Units.
Represented an EB-5 regional center for the purpose of raising immigrant investor capital for the development of a mixed use facility.
Served as lead counsel to a purchaser in the acquisition of the assets of an agricultural equipment distributor.
Served as lead counsel to a purchaser in the hybrid acquisition of the assets and stock of an edible oil processor.
Served as counsel to one of the largest nonprofit medical research enterprises in the world, assisting in the restructuring and organization of its various affiliate entities.
Represented numerous startup and early-stage companies in private offerings of equity and debt securities, enabling such companies to establish and maintain recognizable local businesses and restaurants, redevelop or repurpose major shopping centers, build or renovate several apartment complexes, develop and exploit innovative technologies in the medical, fashion and financial industries, and experience accelerated growth either organically or by acquisitions.
News & Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
"Board Considerations in Approving an M&A Transaction", M&A Boot Camp, Stinson Webinar, September 2022
Publications
Recognitions
Recognitions
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® list 2025
Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers®, 2014-Present
Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2010-2013
Professional & Civic Activities
Professional & Civic Activities
Asian-American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City, Board Member
American Bar Association, Business Law
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Asian American Bar Association of Kansas City, a Founding Member
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Centurions Leadership Program, Class of 2020
Asian American Chamber of Commerce
Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network
Cornell Club of Mid-America
Harvard Club of Kansas City
ALS Association, Mid-America Chapter
Alzheimer’s Association, Heart of America Chapter
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Missouri, 2003
- Kansas, 2004
Education
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, J.D.
Harvard University, M.A., East Asian Studies
Cornell University, B.A., Economics
