David J. Carlson

David J. Carlson is a principal in the Business Law team, and he counsels clients on a range of transactional matters including commercial agreements, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance issues, new entity formation, and day-to-day business questions. 

Relying on his experience in both private practice and in-house as a general counsel, David has broad experience across multiple industries and different subject matter areas. Prior to joining Porzio, David served as the General Counsel of a hospitality start-up, General Counsel of a business unit of a Fortune 500 hospitality company, and Associate General Counsel of a pharmaceutical company. In each of these roles, David has worked to build relationships with his colleagues to better understand their businesses and to help formulate solutions to a variety of issues. More than anything, David views his most important role as helping clients to solve problems.  

David has also advised small businesses and larger clients as an attorney in private practice and as an in-house attorney on a wide range of matters including, acquisitions and sales of businesses, SEC reporting for public companies, and securities offerings.

Outside of the office, David has been an active volunteer in several organizations. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Pillar Care Continuum (formerly Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey), a nonprofit dedicated to providing lifelong support to people with disabilities, where he recently completed a term as Chairperson of the Board.  David is also a regular contributor to his undergraduate alma mater, Dickinson College, where he has served on the New York Regional Alumni Council and as a member of the Presidential Scholarship Task Force. David is also an active tennis player and platform tennis player.

• Member, Board of Trustees, Pillar Care Continuum (formerly Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey) 2008-Present
• Member, Dickinson College Presidential Scholarship Task Force, 2021
• Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Pillar Care Continuum, 2018-2020
• Member, Dickinson College Regional Alumni Council 2015-2019

• Association of Corporate Counsel – Executive Leadership Institute, “The Master Class for the Next Generation of General Counsel,”Chicago, Illinois, July 2015.
• Wyndham Worldwide – “Leading Your Organization,” Orlando, Florida, May 2012.

• General Counsel, Urbain Hospitality Group Inc. (a hospitality start-up offering short-term rentals in urban settings)
• Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Counsel, Wyndham Destinations, Inc. (now known as Travel + Leisure, Inc.)
• Associate General Counsel, The Medicines Company