David has extensive experience handling executive compensation issues in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments, private equity financing, and other transactional contexts.
On behalf of buyers, sellers, and management teams, David drafts and negotiates the compensation and equity arrangements for senior-level executives that drive and reward performance. He is also skilled at structuring and implementing deferred compensation arrangements, performance bonus plans, option and restricted stock awards, synthetic equity plans and equity participation in limited liability companies, partnerships, and corporations. He is adept at structuring these arrangements to comply with the employment, corporate, tax, employee benefit, and securities law issues inherent in them.
He is also skilled at counseling clients and litigating with respect to a broad range of business issues, with an emphasis on employment law issues as they relate to business disputes and transactions. He assists corporate counsel and human resources personnel to develop strategies and documentation for handling sensitive employee situations.
Experience
- Representing a large private equity fund in structuring the compensation and equity arrangements for the senior management team in its acquisition of an industrial materials manufacturer.
- Representing the senior management team of a marketing information services company in negotiating their employment and equity arrangements in connection with a private equity company’s acquisition.
- Structuring and implementing a management incentive plan for an international manufacturer.
- Representing a public company in connection with modifying its outstanding performance equity awards to comply with Section 409A of the tax code.
- Representing a large not-for-profit organization in connection with the investigation of alleged misconduct by a high-level officer.
- Negotiating compensation arrangements for senior portfolio and strategy managers with various mutual, private equity, and hedge funds.
- Handling an internal investigation concerning alleged kickbacks to employees from a corporation’s vendors.
- Winning an arbitration to obtain purchase price adjustments for the principals of a corporation sold to a public company.
- Avoiding whistleblower claims from senior members of a manufacturer’s accounting department based on allegedly fraudulent accounting practices.
- Represented the Chief Operating Officer of a large telecommunications company in connection with a renewal and renegotiation of his employment agreement and equity awards.
- Represented a wholesale retailer in connection with negotiating the equity awards granted to its CEO, including drafting and negotiating a restricted stock award, a non-qualified option award, two profit interest awards and multiparty put, call and pre-emption rights agreement.
- Represented a wholesale retailer in connection with negotiating the equity awards granted to its CEO, including drafting and negotiating a restricted stock award, a non-qualified option award, two profit interest awards and multiparty put, call and pre-emption rights agreement.
viewpoints
Summary of CARES Act for Employers
March 27, 2020 | Blog | By David Lagasse, Danielle Bereznay
News & Press
Mintz Advises Altamira on Acquisition by Parsons
January 15, 2026|
Mintz Advises SILAC on Acquisition by Hildene Capital Management
December 10, 2025|
Mintz Advises Lightkeeper in Growth Investment from PSG
March 21, 2025|
Trump Actions Could Undermine EEOC AI Bias Efforts
February 13, 2025|
Mintz Advises Adlumin, Inc. in Acquisition by N-able
November 22, 2024|
Twenty-nine Mintz Attorneys Named to 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers List
September 22, 2023|
Mintz Advises JMP Group in Sale to Citizens Financial Group
November 16, 2021|
21 Mintz Attorneys Recognized as 2021 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
September 30, 2021|
Mintz Advises NexImmune in its Upsized $126.5 Million IPO
February 17, 2021|
Twenty-Four Mintz Attorneys Named 2019 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
September 12, 2019|
One Hundred Mintz Attorneys Ranked as Leaders by Best Lawyers 2020
August 15, 2019|
Twenty-Four Mintz Attorneys Named 2018 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
September 19, 2018|
Mintz Represents Seventh Generation, Inc. in Sale to Unilever
October 27, 2016|
Twenty-Eight Mintz Attorneys Named 2016 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
September 21, 2016|
Mintz Represents Myriad Genetics in Acquisition of Assurex Health
September 8, 2016|
Twenty-Three Mintz Attorneys Named 2015 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
September 16, 2015|
Mintz Represents Time Inc. in Acquisition of Cozi Inc.
June 19, 2014|
podcasts
Mintz On Air: Practical Policies — The Only Easy Workday Was Yesterday: The Impact of Special Ops Veterans in the Workplace
April 14, 2026 | Podcast | By Jennifer Rubin, David Lagasse
Practical Policies podcast discusses special operations veterans in the workplace and the leadership, teamwork, and planning skills they bring.
Events & Speaking
Second Annual Employment Law Summit
The Princeton Club 14 West 43rd Street, New York, New York
Recognition & Awards
Best Lawyers in America: Employment Law – Management (2011 – 2026); Litigation – Labor & Employment (2011 – 2025)
Recognized by Legal 500: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans – Transactional (2025)
Super Lawyers: New York, Employment & Labor (2010 – 2024, 2026)