David W. Tandy is a member of the Economic Development group at Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, with an emphasis on public policy and community engagement. Prior to joining DBG, David served the people of Louisville, Kentucky as President of its Metro Council and helped create an economic environment that led to multi-billion-dollar growth in the city during his tenure as a Metro Councilman. Today, David utilizes his unique knowledge of the intersection between government and business to help corporations, public/private developers, non-profits, municipalities, and quasi-governmental entities identify and maximize opportunities that help them thrive and strengthen their position for future growth.
Additionally, David also serves as outside general counsel and advisor for publicly and privately held businesses by providing practical advice to help clients find strategic solutions so they can operate, grow and protect their businesses. David works with his clients to select and form entities, draft and negotiate contracts, obtain WBE, MBE and DBE certifications, navigate public / community relations opportunities and challenges and pursue mergers and acquisitions. He serves as their primary legal advisor, coordinating the assistance of other Dentons attorneys on any legal questions that may arise, such as employment, intellectual property, real estate, tax and capital acquisition matters.
During his decade plus career in local government David, as chairman of the Louisville Metro Council’s Labor and Economic Development Committee, crafted and guided various ordinances through the legislative process and worked with business and other civic leaders to create jobs and transform communities. An example of the intentional and innovative thinking David brought to the Metro Council and provides for his clients still today can be seen in the development and construction of the KFC Yum! Center. During the early planning stages of this project, which transformed the Louisville skyline, David successfully authored and spearheaded the enactment of public policy that gave local businesses the opportunity to grow and individuals from every part of the community the ability to be employed and prosper. This policy of affording minority and women owned businesses and members of the workforce the opportunity to participate in major economic development projects was later formalized and adopted by the Louisville Metro Council in the Fair Labor Standards Ordinance of 2009 and continues to spur economic growth.
David continues to be civically engaged in Louisville, across the Commonwealth of Kentucky and nationally. He is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Board for the Kentucky Science Center and the Chairman of the Legal Committee for the Boy Scouts of America’s Lincoln Heritage Council. In addition, he is a board member of the James Graham Brown Regional Cancer Center Corporation, REBOUND, Inc. (a non-profit affordable housing developer) and the Henry Clay Center, housed in the University of Kentucky James W. Martin School of Public Policy and Administration. Nationally, David is a fellow with the Rodel Leadership Institute (formerly the Aspen Institute – Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership).