Kelleher, James J.

Founder of Kaufman, Payton & Chapa, Alan Jay Kaufman personally represents national, international and regional companies in a broad spectrum of corporate, insurance, litigation, and business planning matters.

He received his B.A. from Michigan State University in Finance and Insurance Law and earned a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1973. He continued his law studies in England, concentrating in insurance, corporate and comparative international law at Oxford and the University of London, London School of Economics.

Kaufman is involved in the American Bar Association's Tort and Insurance Law Section. He is also co-chair of its Other Professional Liability Sub-Committee; Excess/Surplus Lines and Reinsurance Law; and Self-Insurers and Risk Managers committees.

Kaufman is currently an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and a mediator for the Michigan Circuit Courts.

He is a member of the Michigan State University Foundation board of directors and an active author and public speaker. Kaufman was also the former chairperson of the Detroit Bar Association International Law Section for over ten years (1985-1996).

Kaufman is also involved as a board member with numerous civic and community organizations including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Founders Junior Council of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Area Boy Scouts of America.