Boutique, the company was hit with a lawsuit in
London by British-based Game Group PLC, which
had a management-services agreement under which
Electronics Boutique and its affiliates received about
$6 million annually to assist Game Group’s operations in the United Kingdom. Game Group sought a
ruling that, because of changes in Electronic Boutique’s stock ownership, it was entitled to terminate
the contract before its 2006 expiration.
matters, such as employment, lease, contract, regulatory compliance and intellectual property disputes.
PLAYING WITH TOYS
When we first met Kaufman in these pages in February 2001, it was in his profile as general counsel of
Zany Brainy Inc., a nationwide retailer of toys, books
and videos for preteens. While Kaufman was busy
at work doing deals, managing litigation and putting
My kids continue to be thrilled with my career choices.”
and the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.
1984).
After a year at Wilmington’s Richards, Layton &
Finger, Kaufman became an associate at White &
Case. In 1988, he moved to Robinson Silverman
Pearce Aronsohn & Berman (now Bryan Cave).
Kaufman left private practice in 1990 to join the
Resolution Trust Corp. as an asset marketing director of its Philadelphia office. In 1993, he was hired
as general counsel of Zelenkofske, Axelrod & Co. of
Jenkintown, Pa., an accounting and management-consulting firm. The next year, he went in-house at
Zany Brainy.
Kaufman and Klehr Harrison’s Michael Coran
worked with London barrister Michael Todd and
solicitors from the Fladgate Fiedler firm to defend
the contract in London’s chancery court. Electronics Boutique prevailed at trial and on appeal, with
its interpretation of U.S. corporate law supported
by expert testimony from lawyers at Drinker Biddle
& Reath of Philadelphia and Morris, Nichols, Arsht
& Tunnell of Wilmington, Del.
According to Kaufman, the court victory helped the
company to negotiate a $15 million deal with Game
Group to terminate the agreement.
Other litigation includes more routine retailer
together Zany Brainy’s $61 million initial public offer-
ing, his three young sons were at home playing with
Dad’s trade show samples.
ROUTE TO THE TOP
A native of Wilmington, Del., Kaufman is a graduate of Rutgers University (B.A. in economics, 1981)
PERSONAL
Daniel and Cathy Kaufman, an elementary school
librarian, have three sons: Michael and twins Matthew and Andrew.
A BOOK AND MOVIE
The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945, by Michael R.
Beschloss, and The Return of the King.
—WILLIAM C. SMITH
An earlier version of this profile appeared in The
National Law Journal on June 7, 2004.
