John F. Sandy (“Sandy”) Smith counsels businesses in all aspects of corporate finance and securities, leading teams of attorneys to help clients plan and efficiently achieve their business objectives. He is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, middle market growth companies, and equity funds and their portfolio companies. Mr. Smith provides proactive and full-service capabilities for unique business plans and goals. He is known for his depth of business and legal experience and taking time to get to know his clients and their objectives.
Mr. Smith is well-versed in myriad corporate transactions and issues including:
- -Sales and acquisitions
- -Business planning, strategy and execution
- -Board advice and corporate governance
- -Mergers, acquisitions, sales, stock purchases and stock swaps
- -Recapitalizations and distributions
- -Public offerings and private placements of debt and equity, including IPOs and follow-on transactions
- -Prospectuses, offering memoranda and proxy solicitations
- -Venture, investment and holding company formation, investments and regulation
- -Spin-offs and roll-ups
- -Workouts and reorganizations
- -Employment agreements (including golden parachutes), severance plans, incentive stock option plans and other compensation plans
Additionally, Mr. Smith has extensive experience in an advisory role for boards of directors regarding corporate governance, independent-director duties, and director and officer fiduciary duties.
Mr. Smith served as a Trustee of Stanford University and is the Founding Chair of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences at Stanford University (IRiSS). He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). Sandy is the Founding Chair of Odyssey Atlanta, a K-12 educational program. He serves as a Trustee of the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School and is an Advisory Board member at the Carter Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He also has served on the boards of The Paideia School, Prevent Blindness Georgia, and The National Kidney Foundation of Georgia.
As a member of the MBA Advisory Board, Mr. Smith has served as lecturer and executive in residence at The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. He also served on the President’s Counsel of the Woodruff Arts Center, Alumni Board of Governors at The Westminster Schools and Leadership Atlanta.
Mr. Smith was honored by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a top lawyer in Corporate M&A. He was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law in 2019 and in each of the seven years immediately preceding.
Experience:
- Representation of various Equity Funds located in Palo Alto and Menlo Park, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; and New York, New York and their portfolio companies.
- Representation of multiple Technology and Technology Support businesses.
- Representation of multiple Fin Tech businesses.
- Representation of multiple Healthcare and Healthcare Software and Service businesses.
- Representation of multiple Supply Chain and Manufacturing businesses.
- Representation of national and regional Retail businesses including optical, ready-to-wear, restaurants and grocery stores.
Education:
- Duke University, J.D. (1984)
- Dartmouth College, The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, M.B.A. (1981)
- Stanford University, B.A. (1978) with honors
Admissions:
- Not Licensed in California
- Georgia (1984)
- District of Columbia (2010)
Cost
Rate : $$$