Bio

As a strategic advisor to founders and company executives, Alan Smith assists clients with financings, founder disputes, M&A, tender offers, hostile takeovers, shareholder activism and board management concerns. Alan has more than 20 years of experience advising startups on their journey of growth into world-class public companies. Focusing on the technology, biotechnology and medical devices sectors, Alan guides clients through critical junctures in their lifecycle, from obtaining initial funding to raising follow-on capital and evaluating exit opportunities. Notable recent examples include cloud-based software company Smartsheet, which Alan advised from formation to its public offering, and real estate site Redfin, which Alan assisted from Series A to IPO. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading lawyers for corporate, M&A, capital markets, securities and venture capital, Alan also assists companies with regulatory compliance, employee relations and governance requirements. He serves as chair of Fenwick’s corporate group. Alan dives deep into a range of technologies, including e-commerce, hardware, software/SaaS and cloud computing, mobile and wireless, data storage and consumer products. He also represents biotech companies developing therapeutics for oncology, immunological, neurological and other indications, and medical device companies pursuing cardiac, neurological and surgical indications, and diagnostics and drug delivery devices. With strong ties to both the venture community and emerging companies, Alan’s most rewarding career moments involve connecting innovative entrepreneurs with interested investors and helping their startups grow into established companies that revolutionize technologies and industries. Clients rely on Alan for thoughtful, strategic and practical advice that takes into account both business and legal challenges. He focuses his attention on the entire business—from the concept, founders, investors and board of directors to the marketing strategy and the company’s relationship with important partners and vendors. Alan is frequently sought as a speaker on a wide range of corporate finance topics, including the initial public offering process, venture capital and angel financing, and mergers and acquisitions. Alan currently serves on the advisory board of TheCorporateCounsel.net, which assists the publication in further developing its corporate and securities law community. Another of Alan’s passions is mountaineering; he is currently pursuing a goal to climb all 20 Cascade Volcanoes (and ski down most of them). When not scaling and skiing the peaks, Alan also enjoys ski racing, cycling, ice hockey, waterskiing, wakesurfing and spending time outdoors in the Pacific Northwest with his family.