Bio

John Ethridge is a Partner in the Corporate Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. Mr. Ethridge has more than 25 years of experience advising clients with respect to a wide variety of business transactions. These include acquisitions and divestitures involving both publicly- and privately-held businesses, joint ventures, venture capital, private equity, lease financing, commercial lending, public offerings, and private placements of debt and equity securities and technology licensing. In addition to his transaction-based practice, Mr. Ethridge is engaged in a general corporate law practice in which he advises manufacturers, distributors, retailers, service providers, technology companies, and other clients with respect to the organization and formation of business entities, corporate governance, financing arrangements, and the negotiation and preparation of agreements and contracts relating to those businesses including employment agreements, shareholder agreements, licensing agreements, and supply and distribution agreements. Current clients include businesses engaged in durable goods manufacturing, retail and wholesale distribution, medical device manufacturing and distribution, timber management, logistics software development and distribution, healthcare practice management software development and distribution, healthcare practice management, medical services delivery (technical and clinical), healthcare billing and collection, dental and medical practice management, medical service networks, heavy equipment distribution, and financing and messaging communication services. Mr. Ethridge currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and is actively involved in leadership roles with a number of educational, religious, and civic organizations including service on the Boards of Directors of Wesley Woods Senior Living and Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center, Zoo Atlanta Leadership Council, Emory Law School Advisory Board, and the University of Georgia Board of Visitors. Mr. Ethridge received a B.S. degree in business administration with a major in accounting from the University of North Carolina in 1978. He received a J.D. degree, with distinction, from Emory University in 1982 where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. While at Emory, he served on the Board of Editors of the Emory Law Journal. Mr. Ethridge is a member of the Atlanta and American Bar Association.