[2] After law school, Van Gorkom became an officer in the United States Navy Reserve, serving until the end of World War II in 1945.
[2] After the war, Van Gorkom became an associate attorney at the Chicago law firm of Kix, Miller, Baar & Morris.
[2] In 1956, Van Gorkom joined TransUnion, the third largest credit bureau in the United States, as comptroller.
In the meantime, the case of Smith v. Van Gorkom, a class action suit brought on behalf of TransUnion shareholders, was winding its way through the courts.
The Supreme Court of Delaware overruled this decision on January 29, 1985, holding that the directors were grossly negligent, because they quickly approved the merger without substantial inquiry or any expert advice.
Daniel Fischel criticized the Smith v. Van Gorkom opinion as "one of the worst decisions in the history of corporate law.
"[5] Van Gorkom, previously a well-liked member of the Chicago business community, was criticized in some quarters for his performance in negotiating the merger of TransUnion.