Lawyer Bio : John F. Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is a Member in Womble Carlyle's Corporate and Securities Practice Group, leading teams of specialists to help clients plan and efficiently achieve their business objectives.

As a "deal attorney," Sandy has a diverse national practice managing, negotiating, and completing corporate and financial transactions for both private and public businesses in various industries, including technology, manufacturing and distribution, healthcare, staffing, retail and service, hospitality and restaurant, venture/investment and holding companies.

Sandy provides proactive and full-service capabilities for unique business plans and goals. Specific experience includes the following:

• Business planning, strategy and execution
• Sales and acquisitions
• Mergers, stock purchases and stock swaps
• Recapitalizations and distributions
• Public and private debt financing
• Board advice and corporate governance
• Public offerings and follow-on transactions
• Prospectuses, offering memoranda and proxy statements
• Venture, investment and holding company formation, investments and regulation
• Spin-offs and roll-ups
• Transnational transactions
• Going private transactions
• Workouts and reorganizations
• Employment agreements (including golden parachute agreements), severance plans, stock option plans and other incentive plans
• Investment advisor and company formation and regulation
• Money management and broker-dealer requirements
• Corporate

Sandy has extensive experience in an advisory role for boards of directors regarding corporate governance, independent director duties and the fiduciary duties of directors and management.

Sandy is committed to community service. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Stanford University, Odyssey, the Paideia School, The National Kidney Foundation of Georgia, Prevent Blindness Georgia and The Rabun Gap Nacoochee School. Sandy also serves on the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center. Sandy is a member of the MBA Advisory Board and has served as lecturer and executive in residence at The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He also served on the Presidents’ Counsel of the Woodruff Arts Center, Alumni Board of Governors at The Westminster Schools, and Leadership Atlanta.

Sandy is married to Maria Susana Gancedo. They have four children and live in Ansley Park. Most of their time is dedicated to their children. They like to travel particularly to South America, which is where Maria grew up and Sandy's business takes him on occasion. Sandy's personal interests include golf, music, fly fishing, architecture and the outdoors.