WALSH PETERSON - Key Persons
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.
Michael Walsh is a partner at Walsh Peterson LLP, a partnership formed in February 2008. Previously, Mr. Walsh was a partner for 17 years at Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago. Prior to that, he was a partner (and associate) at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago for approximately 10 years.
Mr. Walsh focuses his practice on corporate transactions and counseling matters primarily involving intellectual property and technology. His specialty practice areas include: information technology, intellectual property, telecommunications, the internet and e-commerce, software licensing, strategic alliances, technology procurement, professional services and outsourcing. Additionally, Mr. Walsh has significant experience with corporate and commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as supply, licensing, manufacturing and tolling agreements.
Mr. Walsh handles matters on both a single, stand-alone basis and as part of larger merger, acquisition, joint venture and strategic alliance transactions. He recently led a team in the sale of one of his clients, Southern DataComm, Inc., to Nova Information Systems, Inc. (now Elavon Inc.), a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp. Mr. Walsh currently is a Special Assistant State's Attorney for Kankakee County in its procurement of an integrated justice information system for Kankakee County's Clerk, Courts, State's Attorney, Public Defender and Probation Office. He previously performed similar duties for Kankakee County's Sheriff's Office. Representative clients have included W.W. Grainger, Westell Technologies, Pregis, ConferencePlus, Mann Eye Institute, Motor Werks and The Claim Company. Also, Mr. Walsh represents a number of small software consultants and entrepreneurs.
Mr. Walsh counsels clients on legal issues related to intellectual property, software and technology, including intellectual property protection and licensing strategies. In addition, Mr. Walsh assists clients with resolving disputes arising under existing agreements and strategic positioning in preparation for litigation or arbitration. His counseling skills combine 30 years of legal experience and common business sense to provide clients with well grounded strategies for resolving complex, and often subtle, issues.
Mr. Walsh graduated with an A.B. in Physics from Colgate University in 1973. He received his M.B.A. in Finance from Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1975 and obtained a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1978.
Between 2001 and 2003, Mr. Walsh was an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law where he taught copyright and trademark law. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Walsh was a member of the IP Advisory Committee at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He has been a speaker at that law school's annual Law & Technology Conference. Mr. Walsh has been a guest lecturer at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Cornell University's Johnson School and John Marshall Law School.
Mr. Walsh currently is the President of Cornell University's Johnson School Alumni Board. In addition, he is a member of Cornell's Johnson School Advisory Council and the Wheaton College President's Commission. Mr. Walsh is also a member of the Children's Heart Foundation Board (Illinois Chapter) and the Gift of Adoption Board (Illinois Chapter). He is a past member of Colgate University's Alumni Council and Southern Methodist University School of Law's Alumni Advisory Board.
Mr. Walsh is a member of the bar of the State of Illinois and several federal courts. In addition, he is a member of the American Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.