The Kaufman Group | TKG | Our Members

TKG Chairman, President & CEO

James J. Kaufman

Mr. Kaufman is the founder, chairman and CEO of The Kaufman Group. He has been engaged in business and has practiced law for over 45 years concentrating his legal practice in the fields of:

Banking, finance, lender liability, corporate, business, strategic planning, restructuring, turnarounds and workouts, health care, and all phases of significant litigation. He has represented banks, foreign and domestic corporations, manufacturers, automobile and marine distributors, dealers, and suppliers, real estate developers and health care providers. Mr. Kaufman’s expertise addresses all aspects of start-up, successful, and distressed companies, including SOT, floor plan and capital financing defaults, strategic negotiations and mediations, acquisitions, mergers, and reconstruction of assets.

In the health care sector, Mr. Kaufman has served as Special Counsel on business/cost containment issues involving the Florida/Medicaid – US Tobacco Litigation; has represented hospitals, doctors, nurses, and others in the health care industry including negotiation and closing of a multimillion dollar A&M of a complex radiological practice and litigation and interstate negotiation with multiple hospitals and other providers.

In the auto sector, he has represented and provided comprehensive business and strategic advice and guidance to mega dealers including extensive floor plan, SOT and other negotiations with manufacturers, banks and captives; litigation and “hands-on” operational experience. He has lectured at numerous JD Powers Round Tables and NADA annual meetings.

In the finance sector, he has represented banks and mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers, engaging in strategic workouts of multimillion dollar loans and Federal litigation against major securities firms; he has litigated and provided strategic advice and counsel on substantial cases to various corporations throughout the US in multimillion dollar lender liability suits against banks and other lenders.

In the corporate sector, Mr. Kaufman, a negotiator and certified mediator, has served as strategic advisor to numerous corporations and boards and has written extensive SEC/Blue Sky offering and private placements plans. In the international business sector,

Mr. Kaufman has served as legal counsel and worked with companies in Australia, Europe, Italy, Greece, and China (including joint ventures with the China National Corporation of Medicine, and founding Danamer, a joint venture between a US city and Dandong, China).

In the marine sector, he has served Riviera Marine as its first East Coast Distributor, US operations manager, President and CEO of Riviera Yachts of the Americas and continues to serve Riviera as a senior advisor; created the Blue Ribbon Panel with the marine CEOs of Caterpillar and Cummins; engaged in negotiation with and provided strategic advice to GEC regarding a broad range of highly problematic marine dealer floor plan issues. Currently, he has developed a unique Price Point Analysis which enables TKG’s Marine Analytic Division to assist marine manufacturers in making current, effective and up to date pricing decisions for their products.

Mr. Kaufman’s government service includes having served as a delegate to the US/China Joint Session on Trade, Investment & Economic Law in Beijing, China; a member of the New York 7th Judicial Grievance Committee and New York Policy and Ethics Committee; a Town Justice for 14 years; Counsel of the Genesee Regional Health Planning Council, Chairman of the Genesee Regional Health Planning Council, Noise Task Force; a panel member of the Commerce Technical Advisory Board on Noise Abatement; Legislative Assistant, Administrative Assistant and Legal counsel to Congressman Theodore R. Kupferman (US House of Representatives, 17thCongressional District, Washington, DC) where he drafted the nation’s first noise control legislation and was thereafter engaged by the government to review and assess all the noise ordinances in the US.

Mr. Kaufman’s publications include: Noise, a Problem to be Heard,National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC; Control of Noise Through Laws and Regulations,American Speech and Hearing Assoc., Washington, DC; What to do Before the Money Runs Out – A Road Map for America’s Automobile Dealers; and Trial Structure and Conduct, North Carolina Trial & Appeal,West Publishing, American Inns of Court Civil Procedure.

Ratings: During his legal practice, Mr. Kaufman has enjoyed Martindale-Hubbell’s highest “AV” rating (1976-2002) and being listed in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Mr. Kaufman is a member of the esteemed Players, Gramercy Park, and a member of the preeminent Union League Club, both in New York City, as well as a member of the Cape Fear Club in Wilmington, NC. He is a former Board Member and Chairman of Imaging The World (ITW), a not-for-profit health care company delivering ultrasound services to Uganda and other underserved populations, and in the process saving many lives.

Kaufman lives in Wilmington, NC, with his wife.

Director, Health & Hospitals

George Kalkines

Mr. Kalkines’ expertise focuses on all aspects of health care law, including corporate organization, regulatory compliance, finance and reimbursement matters.

His expertise also involves physician and faculty practice arrangements, capital financing, labor relations, collective bargaining, and medical/legal issues; substantial experience in representing financially distressed institutions and assisting in the planning, financing and construction of health care facilities; substantial experience in strategic planning and network development; financial turnarounds, planning and implementation including pre and post-bankruptcy restructurings.

Mr. Kalkines has served as general or special counsel to voluntary, public and proprietary health care providers, including academic medical centers, acute and specialty care hospitals, nursing homes, faculty practice plans and ambulatory care organizations.

Mr. Kalkines was a member of the Special Mayoral Task relating to the restructuring of the NYC’s public hospital system leading to the creation and implementation of the NYC Health and Hospital Corp. He subsequently served as Secretary and General Counsel. Mr. Kalkines has organized and led a number of legislative initiatives to enhance provider reimbursement and to establish special capital financing programs for financially distressed institutions.

Honors & Awards
Named as one of the Top-Ranked Attorneys, Chambers USA, 2006-2008.
Included in The Best Lawyers in America for more than ten years.

Finance Director-Europe & US

J.M. Ornstein

Mr. Ornstein has over seven years of investment banking and corporate development experience at senior levels.

During his business career, Mr. Ornstein worked on Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Privatizations, Divestitures, Joint-Ventures, Strategic Alliances, Government Relations, and Business Development.

In 2003, Mr. Ornstein joined the Army and was assigned to 10th Special Forces Group where he deployed three times to Iraq with distinction, earning the Bronze Star. While in the military, Mr. Ornstein achieved the highest level of US Government Counterintelligence training. Mr. Ornstein has his BA in International Finance from the University of Miami and an MBA from Bocconi University in Milan.

Mr. Ornstein speaks English, Portuguese and Italian. He lives in England where he designs market entry strategies for a portfolio of international companies.

TKG VP & Chairman, Global Health

Steven P. Braff, MD

Dr. Braff is neuroradiologist at ProScan in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is formally Professor of Radiology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at the University of Vermont School of Medicine, and Former Chief of Radiology at Fletcher Allen Healthcare in Burlington, Vermont.

He has an international reputation as a leader in Radiology, with particular expertise in the relationship between industry and medicine. His group has strategic partnerships and luminary relationships with twelve healthcare companies.