R. David Kaufman
Member

Practice Areas
AntitrustBreach of Contract
Business Torts
Class Actions
Commercial Litigation
Environmental Litigation
Personal Injury, Mass Torts, and Product Liability
Premises Liability
Securities Fraud & Shareholder Disputes
R. David Kaufman
Member
Biography
David Kaufman has extensive experience in handling complex commercial, products liability, and mass tort cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts in Mississippi and elsewhere. Among others, he has tried to jury verdict antitrust, breach of contract, business torts, product liability, construction, personal injury, wrongful death, and premises liability lawsuits. He has been lead counsel in a number of the largest lawsuits ever filed in Mississippi, and has been a member of trial teams on multi-state litigation concerning issues of national importance.
David currently serves as Mississippi trial counsel for several Fortune 500 companies. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers; a member, local chapter president, and former national director of the American Board of Trial Advocates; and a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel. David also is recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Securities, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation- Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants; Litigation in Antitrust; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions. Best Lawyers named him Lawyer of the Year for 2010 in the Bet-the-Company Litigation category, Lawyer of the Year for 2014 in the Securities Litigation, Lawyer of the Year for 2015 in Personal Injury- Defense Lawyer of the Year for 2017 in Product Liability Litigation; Lawyer of the Year for 2018 in Personal Injury Litigation Defendants, Lawyer of the Year for 2019 in Bet-the-Company Litigation and Lawyer of the Year for 2020 in Legal Malpractice Law-Defendants, and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers also lists him among America’s Leading Lawyers in Business Litigation. He is recognized in Mid-South Super Lawyers® as one of the top 50 lawyers in Mississippi, and one of the top business litigators in Mississippi. Benchmark Litigation has recognized him as a Local Litigation Star in Commercial, Environmental, Personal Injury, and Product Liability Litigation categories.
He is a past Chairman of the Firm’s litigation department and a former longtime member of the Firm’s Board of Directors. David has also been active in business and civic affairs. He has served as a member of the boards of directors of financial institutions and is a former president and
member of the Board of Directors of the Country Club of Jackson. He also has been active in bar organizations and is Past President of the Capital Area Bar Association.
Education
- J.D., University of Mississippi, 1978 (Phi Delta Phi Scholastic and Leadership Society, Comment Editor-Mississippi Law Journal)
- B.A., University of Mississippi, 1975 (Omicron Delta Kappa Scholastic and Leadership Society, Delta Sigma Pi Business Honorary Society)
Admissions
- Mississippi (1978)
- United States District Courts of Mississippi (1978)
- United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits (1978)
- United States Supreme Court
Community & Professional Activities
- Fellow of American College of Trial Lawyers
- American Board of Trial Advocate(Former Chapter President and National Board Member)
- Capital Area Bar Association (Past-President)
- Mississippi Bar Association
- Mississippi Bar Foundation Fellow
- Bar Association of the Fifth Circuit
- Mississippi Association of Defense Counsel
- Defense Research Institute
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- American Inns of Court
Representative Matters
- Obtained a multi-million dollar arbitration award for client in breach of restrictive covenant case involving the client’s former employees.
- Successfully defended welding rod manufacturers The BOC Group, Inc., Lincoln Electric Co., Hobart, Inc. and ESAB in bellwether welding fume exposure lawsuits tried in Arkansas and West Virginia.
- Obtained a dismissal with prejudice before trial of the claims of an Alabama welder against The BOC Group, Inc, Lincoln Electric Co., Hobart, Inc. and ESAB in a case that was to be the second bellwether trial in the national welding fume litigation in the MDL court in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Successfully defended regional law firm in legal malpractice lawsuit
- Obtained Summary Judgment for Honeywell in Rouse plant explosion, the largest industrial accident in the history of Mississippi.
- Obtained Summary Judgment for natural gas supplier in alleged wrong death explosion federal court lawsuit.
Speeches & Publications
- David has presented at a number of trial practice seminars and has been an invited lecturer at a number of trial practice classes at area law schools. He also has spoken at national mass tort seminars and has participated in the American Board of Trial Advocate’s Masters In Trial Program
- Panelist at the American Conference Institute’s 4th Annual Chemical Products Liability & Environmental Litigation Conference in Chicago: “Case Study of Welding Fume Litigation: Getting the Best Result at Trial by Working With Co-defendants”.
Honors & Awards
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
- Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation
- American Board of Trial Advocates (Director)
- Best Lawyers In America©: Lawyer of the Year 2022 – Legal Malpractice Law – Defendant
- Best Lawyers In America©: Lawyer of the Year, 2020 – Legal Malpractice Law-Defendants
- Best Lawyers in Ameriaca©: Lawyer of the Year, 2019 – Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Best Lawyers in America©: Lawyer of the Year, 2018 – Personal Injury Litigation- Defendants- Jackson, MS
- Best Lawyers in America©: Lawyer of the Year, 2017 -Product Liability Litigation – Defendants- Jackson, MS
- Best Lawyers in America©: Lawyer of the Year, 2015 – Personal Injury Litigation- Defendants- Jackson, MS
- Best Lawyers in America©: Lawyer of the Year, 2014 – Litigation- Securities- Jackson, MS
- Best Lawyers in America©: Lawyer of the Year, 2010: Bet-the-Company Litigation- Jackson, MS
- Best Lawyers in America©: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Product Liability Litigation- Defendants and Litigation- Securities
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business: Litigation: General Commercial
- Benchmark Litigation: Local Litigation Star: Commercial Litigation, Environmental Litigation, Personal Injury, Product Liability
- Benchmark Appellate: “Leading Appellate Practitioner”
- Mid-South Super Lawyers’® Top 50 in Mississippi: Business Litigation
- Mississippi Business Journal Leaders in the Law 2011
- American Society of Legal Advocates [Top 100 Litigation Lawyers in MS]
- 2010 Lawdragon Top 300
- 2009 Lawdragon Top 500
- Capital Area Bar Association’s Professionalism Award 2013
News
- BRUNINI ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED IN THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA© 2023 EDITION
- Brunini Named Best Law Firm in Mississippi for Third Year in a Row
- Benchmark Litigation has once again named Brunini Law Firm to its annual shortlist for Mississippi Firm of the Year.
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized in the 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers
- Brunini Law Firm and Attorneys Ranked in Prestigious Chambers USA 2021 Guide
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized in Mid-South 2020 Super Lawyers Top 50 Mississippi and Top 50 Women
- 17 Brunini Attorneys Named to 2020 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Benchmark Litigation Has Recognized Eight Brunini Attorneys in its 2021 Edition
- CHAMBERS USA RECOGNIZES BRUNINI AMONG TOP LAW FIRMS IN MISSISSIPPI
- Brunini Recognized by Super Lawyers
- Brunini Recognized As Highly Recommended Firm by Benchmark Litigation 2020
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers
- Chambers Lists Brunini Attorneys
- Kaufman Elected President of Mississippi Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates
- United States Supreme Court denies certiorari review of Fifth Circuit ruling affirming summary judgment for clients
- 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyers
- Twenty- seven honored by Best Lawyers® 2017, Four attorneys named “Lawyer of the Year”
- Brunini Recognized Among Top Law Firms in Mississippi by Chambers USA
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment for Clients
- Benchmark Litigation has named the Brunini firm Mississippi’s “Firm of the Year” for 2016. David Kaufman and Patrick McDowell accepted the award for the firm at the Benchmark Litigation Awards ceremony in New York City on February 11.
- Kaufman, Carmody, and Lawhorn Win Supreme Appeal for Regions Insurance
- BRUNINI RECOGNIZED AMONG TOP LAW FIRMS IN MISSISSIPPI BY CHAMBERS USA
- Kaufman and Cirilli Victorious in Mississippi Supreme Court Appeal of Chancery Court Ruling Regarding Cost for Lamar County to Withdraw from the Pat Harrison Waterway District
- Brunini’s 2014 Super Lawyers
- Brunini Lands on the short list in the 2014 edition of Benchmark Litigation
- Kaufman and Allen Obtain Summary Judgment in Fire Death Case
- Brunini Recognized Among Top Law Firms in Mississippi by Chambers USA