Josh Kaufman has joined the firm as Managing Partner of Katten’s new Miami office. He will be a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets practice and will also serve as Lead Partner of the firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice.
Katten has entered the South Florida legal market with the opening of a Miami office, hiring veteran capital markets attorney Josh Kaufman from DLA Piper to lead the new location and expand the firm’s public company and corporate finance capabilities in one of the country’s fastest-growing financial hubs.
Kaufman joins as managing partner of the Miami office, a partner in Katten’s Capital Markets practice, and lead partner of the firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice. The move gives the Chicago-based law firm a permanent presence in a market that has attracted increasing numbers of investment firms, family offices, financial institutions, and growth companies over the past several years.
The expansion aligns with Katten’s broader growth strategy, which emphasizes investing in markets with expanding corporate finance activity and rising demand for legal services tied to capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and wealth management.
Kaufman’s practice spans a broad range of equity and debt capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, de-SPAC transactions, reverse mergers, direct listings, PIPE financings, at-the-market programs, secondary offerings, convertible debt, preferred stock issuances, and investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings. He also advises public companies on securities law compliance and corporate governance matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nasdaq, and the New York Stock Exchange.
His industry experience includes advising companies in life sciences, technology, data centers, digital assets, REITs, financial services, and emerging growth sectors. He has also represented clients across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, providing cross-border transactional experience that complements Miami’s increasingly international business community.
Mark Wood, co-chair of Katten’s Capital Markets practice, said the firm’s expansion reflects the continued growth of South Florida as a destination for private capital and multinational businesses seeking sophisticated legal counsel.
Firm Chairman Gil Soffer described the Miami office as part of Katten’s long-term strategic plan, noting that Kaufman’s market relationships and experience position the firm to build its presence across Florida’s expanding financial and corporate sectors.
Miami has become one of the nation’s most active markets for financial services and corporate relocations, with investment managers, hedge funds, private equity firms, family offices, and technology companies establishing or expanding operations in the region. That migration has fueled demand for legal advisers with expertise in capital markets, securities regulation, corporate governance, and transactional work.
The new office is expected to support clients across several practice areas, including capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, private credit, financial services, real estate, family office advisory, and public company representation. It also strengthens Katten’s ability to serve businesses pursuing public listings, private capital raises, and strategic transactions while expanding relationships with South Florida’s growing investment community.
Katten employs nearly 650 attorneys across offices in the United States, London, and Shanghai, providing legal services in corporate law, financial markets, litigation, intellectual property, restructuring, structured finance, real estate, tax, private credit, and private wealth. The firm’s Capital Markets practice advises issuers, underwriters, investors, and placement agents on transactions ranging from early-stage venture financings to multibillion-dollar public offerings.
