John D. Kauffman

John Kauffman has represented investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate management in a variety of business and strategic matters. One focus of John’s practice is representing Alaska Native Corporations from his office in Anchorage in their complex M&A transactions in Alaska and throughout the United States.

Education

Stanford Law School, J.D., 1999

College of William and Mary, B.A., 1996, summa cum laude

Admissions

Alaska

Recent M&A Transactions for Alaska Native Corporations

• Doyon, Limited.Representation of Doyon, Limited, the Alaska Native regional corporation for Interior Alaska, in Doyon’s acquisition of Fairweather, LLC, a leader in oilfield support services in Alaska.
• Bristol Bay Native Corporation
• Representation of BBNC subsidiary Bristol Bay Industrial in multiple acquisitions of construction companies in Alaska and throughout the United States, including John Burns Construction Company, Cannon Construction, and GHEMM Company.
• Representation of BBNC subsidiary PetroCard in multiple acquisitions of companies in the fuel and lubricants industry, including Marc Nelson Oil Products, Masco Petroleum and Ernie’s Fueling Network.
• Chugach Alaska Corporation. Representation of Chugach Alaska Corporation in the acquisition of Rex Electric and Technologies, a leading provider of electrical and technology services based in Chicago, Illinois.

Additional Recent Mergers and Acquisitions

• Denali Universal Services. Representation of investor group led by DUS President and CEO Maria Bourne in the acquisition of DUS from Sodexo. DUS provides facilities management and security services (including emergency medical services and firefighting) to private sector and public sector clients.
• Representation of the founder of UMV in the sale of the company to Teamshares. UMV is the leading Alaska provider of express outsourced DMV services.
• Colville, Inc. Represent Colville, Inc., a leading oil field supply company on the North Slope, in the acquisition fuel-related assets in the Prudhoe Bay region of Alaska, including a 1.2 million-gallon capacity storage tanks and fuel distribution assets, from of Northern Oilfield Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of Saltchuk Resources.

Equity Investments and Joint Ventures

• Na-Dena`. Represent Doyon, Limited in the formation of Na-Dena` LLC, a company focused on expanding sustainable tourism in Alaska that is jointly owned by Doyon and Huna Totem Corporation.
• Chugach Alaska Corporation.
• Represent Chugach Alaska in its investment in the development of CYBER Express car wash facilities in the Anchorage area.
• Represent Chugach Alaska in its preferred stock investments in Spaceflight Industries, a Washington-based aerospace and space logistics company.

Insights & Presentations

• Chief author, “Business Law Practice,” Chapter XIII, Washington Lawyers’ Practice Manual

• Named by Best Lawyers^® as Corporate Law “Lawyer of the Year,” Anchorage, 2025
• Included in The Best Lawyers in America^® (Corporate Law), 2024–present
• Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (Alaska) by Chambers USA (Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions), 2014–present
• Listed in Alaska Super Lawyers^® (Mergers & Acquisitions, Securities & Corporate Finance), 2023–present
• Listed in the Alaska BusinessLegal Elite, 2023–2024
• Selected by the Alaska Journal of Commerce as one of Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40, 2013
• Listed among Rising Stars^SM (Securities and Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions) by Washington Super Lawyers^®, 2005–2007, 2009

Professional

• Business Law Section, Alaska Bar Association, Co-Chair