David Schaffer is the Deputy General Counsel for Private Equity and Strategic Investments at Point72. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of investments and dispositions for the firm’s private investment platforms, including Point72 Ventures.

Prior to joining Point72, David was a corporate partner at Wiggin and Dana LLP, where he focused primarily on M&A, private equity, and venture capital transactions.

I can’t overstate the extraordinary variety of transactions we handle.

The work that comes our way ranges from pre-seed investments to IPOs and everything in between. We even had the opportunity to help our founder acquire a professional sports team. I can’t stand monotony, and the variety of our work – in terms of structure, industry sector, and check size – keeps our team energized and engaged.

I built my career through trial and, admittedly, some error.

I’ve been a “deal lawyer” for close to 20 years now and have had the opportunity to work on hundreds of transactions with thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, and other professionals – all with distinct personalities and different levels of expertise. I’ve seen and learned a lot over the years, including the importance of being “commercial” while continuously assessing and managing risk.

I’m a big believer in finding “flow” to unwind.

I like labor-intensive outdoor activities—clearing land, chopping wood, building rock walls. My wife won’t allow me to get a chainsaw because she thinks I’ll cut down too many trees in our yard, and one of my daughters suggested the other day that I must have been a frontiersman in a past life; I think they’re probably both right.

I’m generally the happiest on a golf course.

Unfortunately, that’s also the place where I tend to be the least happy. I played golf in college and once had aspirations of going pro, but I “gave up the ghost” after floundering in some important tournaments. Unless I can find a way to reset my expectations on the course, my connection to the game will continue to be the epitome of a love-hate relationship.