David D. Peterson, Jr.
David ("Duff") Peterson co-founded Walsh Peterson LLP in February 2008. Before establishing the firm, he was Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago. Prior to joining Sidley, Mr. Peterson spent 18 years as an in-house lawyer at Baxter International Inc. and then Brunswick Corporation, focusing on commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities and financing. Earlier in his career, he was an associate in the corporate and securities groups of Gardere & Wynne in Dallas and Gardner, Carton & Douglas in Chicago.
Mr. Peterson has a wealth of experience in drafting and successfully negotiating complex commercial contracts, including supply, licensing, manufacturing, distribution and dealer agreements, and he has advantageously resolved many commercial disputes prior to litigation. His practice also includes providing advice on corporate governance under Federal and state law and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, and the preparation of proxy statements and Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Mr. Peterson has extensive international experience, having worked in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and has assisted businesses in international expansion, overseas procurement and strategic alliances abroad. His corporate legal career included a four-year assignment in Brussels, Belgium and considerable time in developing countries. He speaks Spanish and French.
Mr. Peterson's clients have included Brunswick Corporation and its Mercury Marine division, Carl Zeiss Vision Inc., FreightCar America, Inc., US Water Purification, Inc., Westell Technologies, Inc., privately-held and family businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals.
Having served as an in-house lawyer on management teams of growing businesses, Mr. Peterson has a practical, results-oriented approach to the practice of law. He believes strongly in providing expeditious, cost-effective legal services to clients. He understands that his clients need to achieve both short-term progress on key projects and long-term business growth.
A native of Chicago's North Shore, Duff Peterson was educated at Bowdoin College, the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) and Northwestern University, where he received his J.D. in 1984. At Northwestern, he served as an editor of the Northwestern University Law Review. He was admitted to the bar in Texas in 1984 (currently on inactive status) and in Illinois in 1986. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association.
(email) dpeterson@walshpeterson.com