International Practice, Local Roots
David B. Guenther is Of Counsel at Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, P.C., where he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities transactions, venture capital, real estate, and condominium law. Born in Michigan and raised in Ann Arbor, David practiced with a New York firm in New York and Frankfurt, Germany before returning to Michigan.
From Startup to Succession
David’s client base spans the full business lifecycle: startup formation, venture capital and angel financing, impact investing, corporate restructuring, succession planning for privately held companies, and M&A transactions. He also handles real estate matters and condominium law for developers and property owners. That transactional breadth is reinforced by his academic work. David has taught at the University of Michigan Law School’s International Transactions Clinic since 2010, first as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor and currently as Clinical Professor of Law.
Scholar and Published Author
David is also a published scholar and author. His publications include a recent article in the Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law on the SEC’s evolving definition of “investment contract” in the context of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, and a book published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2024 on the New York art world. Earlier work has appeared in the Michigan Business and Entrepreneurial Review, the Virginia Law and Business Review, the Michigan Bar Journal, and the Michigan Journal of International Law.
Global Perspective, Local Commitment
Before law school, David taught English in Kenya, East Africa (1986-87). His civic involvement in Washtenaw County includes service as Past Chair of the Superior Township Planning Commission, past member of the Superior Township Zoning Board of Appeals, and former director of Dixboro Village Green, Inc. and the Michigan Non-Profit Housing Corporation. He speaks English and German.
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D. magna cum laude (1999)
- Duke University, M.A. German Studies (1997)
- Kenyon College, B.A. summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa (1984)
- State Bar of Michigan (2005)
- New York State Bar Association (inactive)
- “Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the Expanding Definition of ‘Investment Contract’,” 30 Fordham J. Corp. & Fin. L. (forthcoming 2025)
- The Art Dealer’s Apprentice: Behind the Scenes of the New York Art World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024)
- “Of Bodies Politic and Pecuniary: A Brief History of Corporate Purpose,” 9 Mich. Bus. & Entrepreneurial Rev. 1 (2019)
- “Why Exactly Must Corporations Maximize Profits to Shareholders?” 12 Va. L. & Bus. Rev. 427 (2018)
- “International Microfranchising,” Mich. B. J. 96, no. 10 (2017)
- “The Limited Public Offer in German and U.S. Securities Law,” 20 Mich. J. Int’l Law 871 (1999)
Michigan Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2010)
- State Bar of Michigan, Past Chair, International Law Section
- Superior Township Planning Commission, Past Chair
- Superior Township Zoning Board of Appeals, Past Member
- Dixboro Village Green, Inc., Former Director
- Michigan Non-Profit Housing Corporation, Former Director
- Washtenaw County Bar Association
- University of Michigan Law School, International Transactions Clinic
- Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor (2010-present); Clinical Professor of Law (2015-present)
- Languages: English, German