Lori S. Smith Partner

Lori Smith, Chair of the firm's Business Department, is also a member of the firm's Healthcare and Food and Beverage Groups and previously served as Co-Chair of the Corporate and Securities Group. Lori's practice focuses on representation of foreign and domestic companies at all stages of development from formation and early and growth stage companies to multi-national public companies, as well as angel, venture capital and private equity investors. Her practice spans diverse industries including, technology, media, fashion and textiles, financial services, food and beverage, sports, specialty chemicals, insurance, healthcare and digital health. Lori has more than 30 years of experience handling corporate and commercial transactional work for her clients, as well as acting as outside general counsel managing all of their other ongoing legal needs. She has significant experience representing emerging technology companies and venture capital and angel investors in connection with early and growth stage financings and strategic transactions.  

Lori represents public and private companies in the negotiation of mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, equity and debt financings, private placements, strategic alliances, partnerships and joint ventures. She also advises companies on various legal issues impacting their ongoing business operations, such as governance issues, shareholder and board of directors matters, operational agreements such as consulting, licensing, manufacturing, distribution and supply agreements, employment matters, protection of intellectual property rights and the transitional issues that arise in the transfer of management and control in closely held corporations. 

Lori frequently speaks at events focused on technology, investment and deal making in New York. She has moderated or participated as a panelist in programs for the MIT Enterprise Forum and eLab NYC, and participated as a judge for business plan and pitch competitions. She has spoken on such diverse topics as what investors and buyers look for in evaluating a business plan or target, preparing a company for private equity or venture capital investment or sale, unleashing business growth through change management, and exploring mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and alternative exit or liquidity strategies. 

Lori also serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Women's Initiative, which works to enhance the professional and personal development of the firm's women lawyers.

Prior to joining White and Williams, Lori was a partner at Sedgwick LLP. In addition she was previously a partner at Goodwin Procter LLP.   

Representative Matters

• Represented iNovia Capital in a multimillion dollar Series B investment in Boosted, Inc.
• Represented Stadium Goods, a streetwear and sneaker resale store and e-commerce site, in its multimillion dollar sale to Farfetch Limited, a publicly-traded global technology platform for the luxury fashion industry
• Represented Stadium Goods, a streetwear and sneaker resale store and e-commerce site, in its backing from LVMH Luxury Ventures

• Represented Horizon Healthcare Services in connection with a strategic investment in Pager, a company that provides a mobile based application for connecting patients with healthcare to address their urgent care needs 

• Represented a data analytics company that provides proprietary consumer intelligence to major luxury brands in its sale to a global communications agency

• Represented the strategic investment arm of a life and disability insurer in connection with its investment in a healthcare IT company that leverages clinical diagnostic data and AI to develop advanced analytics solutions for the healthcare, pharmaceutical and life science markets
• Represented iNovia Capital in multimillion dollar Series A and seed investments of ROSS Intelligence
• Represented the strategic investment arm of a life and disability insurer in connection with an investment in a special purpose acquisition vehicle which acquired a controlling interest in a provider of trade credit risk management technology solutions
• Represented J9 Technologies, Inc., an IT product and services company, specializing in Business Service Management and Application Performance Management, in its sale to Axxiome Group
• Counseled the strategic investment arm of a life and disability insurer through a Series C preferred equity round for a co-working space company
• Assisted client in providing a secured, tranched bridge loan to a SaaS-based technology company delivering online and mobile interactive health management platforms

Recognition & Involvement

Lori is an active member of the MIT Enterprise Forum, serving as a member of the Board of the New York Chapter. She was previously a member of the MIT Enterprise Forum global board. In addition, she serves on the Public Policy Committee Advisory Council for the Angel Capital Association and is a member of the New York Advisory Board of Astia, a not-for-profit organization that promotes and accelerates women-led businesses.

Lori is also involved with Women United in Philanthropy, a giving circle of nearly 100 women in Bergen County, NJ, which makes available grants to local organizations to help women in need due to economic hardships, abuse and other issues. 

In 2010, The New York Enterprise Report named Lori one of “The Best Accountants and Attorneys for Growing Businesses.” In 2008 – 2010, Chambers U.S. named her as one of New York’s leading lawyers in the technology industry.