Laurence M. Smith
Partner, Attorney at Day Pitney LLP
About
Laurence M. Smith advises public and private companies, boards, and investment and commercial banks on mergers and acquisitions. He handles private equity deals for fund representatives and for debt and equity issuers. He counsels clients on commercial finance, syndicated loans, and middle-market loans. He assists automobile dealer clients with acquisitions, financing, and franchise issues involving car manufacturers. He represents lenders and investors acquiring distressed assets through Article 9 secured party sales or debt-to-equity conversions. He earned his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he edited the Journal of Comparative Business and Capital Market Law, and his B.A. in economics from Yale University magna cum laude. He clerked for Judge Herman D. Michels of the New Jersey Superior Court's Appellate Division, and he has since closed many high-value acquisitions and financings for his clients.
Who is a good fit for Laurence M. Smith
- Automobile dealers working through an acquisition or a franchise issue with a manufacturer.
- Fund representatives and debt or equity issuers entering a private equity transaction.
- Lenders and investors acquiring assets in distress through an Article 9 sale or a debt-to-equity conversion.
- Boards of public or private companies planning a merger or an acquisition.
Education and admissions
- Education
- University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, J.D., 1985
- Yale University, B.A., 1983
- Bar admissions
- New Jersey, New York
Recognition
- Selected as the Banking and Finance Law Lawyer of the Year for the Newark Metro Area by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), 2027
- Selected to the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers ®, Business & Corporate; Banking; Mergers & Acquisitions, 2005-2006, 2024-2026
- Chosen for inclusion in the Chambers USA Legal Directory (Chambers & Partners) of recognized practitioners for Corporate/M&A in New Jersey, 2013-2026
- Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), Banking and Finance Law, 2008-2027; Corporate Law, 2008-2027
- AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell (LexisNexis)
Specialties
Representative matters
As described on the firm’s website.
- Representation of a client in acquiring luxury brand auto dealers through the purchase of secured debt issued by the dealers and, thereafter, the acquisition of their assets through an Article 9 sale, following the dismissal of a bankruptcy proceeding which had been filed to block the Article 9 sale
- Representation of a Minnesota investment fund in acquiring a controlling stake in a delisted company in the educational text book industry through the conversion of debt to senior preferred equity
- Representation of a client in challenging an auto manufacturer's improper exercise of a right of first refusal in order to block the client's purchase of an automobile dealership
- Representation of a plastics manufacturer in the attempted purchase through an Article 9 sale of the assets of a North Carolina manufacturing company and, following the commencement of an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding against the target, the purchase of its secured debt and the acquisition of its assets by credit bidding in a Section 363 sale
- Representation of the agent in a syndicated credit facility to a business development company, the primary collateral for which was the BDC's loan assets (lender side)
- Representation of a manufacturer of nail enamel in its corporate restructuring to facilitate the acquisition of a controlling equity stake in a competitor and, following a stockholder dispute, the purchase of the secured debt and acquisition of the assets of the competitor in an Article 9 sale
- Representation of a client in the purchase and financing of three automobile dealerships and the related real estate in an upscale New Jersey community
- Representation of a company in transferring control to the holders of its second lien debt, through a reverse triangular merger in which the debt holders acquired an indirect majority interest in the company by converting debt to equity
- Representation of a client in acquiring through Article 9 sales substantially all of the assets of manufacturing companies based in California and Nevada
Deal profile
- Typical deal size
- Any deal size
- Remote work
- In-person / regional