Day Pitney LLP announced that Michael W. Kaufman has been named chair of the firm's Institutional Finance and Commercial Lending group. Kaufman is a Finance partner based in the firm's Stamford, Connecticut office.

"Mike is detail-oriented and understands the broader picture when it comes to working with both private equity clients and financial institutions, whether it is closing a merger or refinancing of indebtedness," said R. Scott Beach, chair of the firm's Corporate and Business Law department. "He has deep experience in complex financing transactions and this lends itself to assisting a wide variety of firm clients."

With nearly 20 years of experience assisting clients with a range of financing matters, Kaufman has represented lenders and borrowers across numerous industries, including manufacturing, media, food service, retail and telecommunications. His practice involves all aspects of secured and unsecured bank, mezzanine, and other senior and subordinated lending. Kaufman represents borrowers, banks, funds and other lenders. Additionally, he represents private equity clients in connection with the financing of acquisitions and the refinancing of indebtedness of portfolio companies. As a subset of his practice, Kaufman represents financial institutions in connection with loans to individuals or their investment vehicles secured by fine art, hedge fund interests and other assets.

As chair of the Institutional Finance and Commercial Lending group, Kaufman will be responsible for leading a team of approximately 20 attorneys and supporting paralegals providing responsive, quality client service and further developing a deep bench of transactional professionals.

Kaufman will succeed Richard Wasserman as chair, who will continue in the Day Pitney Institutional Finance and Commercial Lending group as well as the Municipal Finance group practicing in the area of corporate finance, including governmental financing, asset-backed structured financing, tax-exempt financing, energy company financing, private-placement financing and commercial lending and borrowing. "We thank Rich for his many contributions to Day Pitney. Under his wise and attentive leadership, the team has thrived," added Beach.

Kaufman earned his B.A., with distinction, from Cornell University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.