David B. Jaffe

– OF COUNSEL –

BIO

David Jaffe has served as General Counsel of U.S. based public and private multinationals and has deep experience in international business. He helped lead Guardian Industries Corp.’s physical expansion into 22 countries, including Mexico. David designed and built compliance and ethics programs and has responded to government investigations around the world. His experience also includes formation, operation, and exits from international joint ventures. He has led legal, compliance, environmental and corporate compliance functions. He serves on the boards of directors of for-profit and non-profit organizations.

David’s current practice is compliance and ethics, consulting for general counsel, and corporate governance. His compliance and ethics work is focused on building compliance efforts to be effective, practical, and satisfy expectations of governments, in particular the U.S. Department of Justice. David advises on formal compliance and ethics programs, compliance policies, implementation, and training.

David’s principal office is near Detroit Michigan, where he is the principal of Jaffe Counsel plc. In Mexico, he coordinates with experts from around EC Rubio to combine his compliance skill with specialized knowledge of Mexican law.

POSITIONS HELD

• Chief Judge James R. Browning, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Law Clerk 1981-82.
• Justice William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States. Law Clerk 1982-83.
• Honigman law firm, Detroit, Michigan. Associate, and later Partner. 1984-1990
• Guardian Industries Corp. Became Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. 1990-2014
• Jaffe Counsel plc. 2014-present.
• Stoneridge, Inc. Chief Counsel (on loan from Jaffe Counsel). 2017-18

EDUCATION

• The University of Chicago (B.A. with honors and honors in Economics)
• The University of Chicago Law School (J.D. with honors)
• Research Assistant to Prof. Edward H. Levi (Attorney General of the United States under President Ford)

RELEVANT MATTERS

• Developed and implemented the first compliance and ethics program at Guardian Industries Corp., trained the board of directors on compliance and corporate governance, drafted compliance policies and implemented training programs.
• Developed the first compliance and ethics program at another large multinational manufacturing company. Drafted the charter for board compliance committee, Code of Conduct, and compliance policies
• Led greenfield projects in Mexico, with ECC Rubio as local counsel. Projects in over 25 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa.
• Led response to (U.S.) federal criminal environmental investigation, which ended in a decision not to prosecute.
• Led response to E.U. Commission competition investigation and to government investigations on five continents.
• For the general counsel of an S&P 500 company, developed international capability in a legal department that had been purely U.S. focused.
• For a U.S. multinational, in legal and business roles, led exit from troubled joint venture in India.

RECOGNITIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

• Member, State Bar of Michigan
• Member, Bars of the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• Member, Ethics and Compliance Institute
• Recognized by The Legal 500 as one of the 100 Most Influential In-House Counsel (2013)

“Licensed to practice law in Michigan; not licensed in Mexico.”