Holland & Knight Welcomes Corporate and Private Equity Partner Colby Smith in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (February 22, 2022) – Holland & Knight has strengthened its leading corporate M&A and private equity practice with the addition of Colby Smith as a partner in its Philadelphia office. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Smith was a partner with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

"Colby represents an important strategic opportunity to further expand the firm's experience in M&A and private equity transactions in the Northeast and across our firm," said John Martini, executive partner of Holland & Knight's Philadelphia office. "We have added more than 20 attorneys to our Private Equity Team over the past year, and Colby's experience, particularly in life sciences, will strengthen the transactional backbone of our Philadelphia office. He is also a talented attorney who is well-known to many of our lawyers, and we are confident his business skills and legal acumen will be in high demand."

Mr. Smith counsels clients in business law matters, with an emphasis on middle-market merger and acquisition transactions. He represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in general business law and transactional matters. He also advises seed, institutional and venture capital investors, with a focus on corporate venture capital investing. Mr. Smith counsels clients in a variety of industries, including life sciences, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace and defense, sports and entertainment, retail and consumer products.

"Colby will be a tremendous asset to our corporate practice, and we are excited to welcome him to our firm," said Amy Leder, co-leader of the firm's Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group in the Northeast region. "His work with private equity clients as well as his extensive M&A experience will be instrumental in expanding and deepening our practice in the Northeast and nationwide."

"Holland & Knight has made significant investments in its corporate M&A practice, particularly in private equity, and I look forward to being part of an exceptional platform that is committed to focused growth and excellent client service," Mr. Smith said. "I am equally thrilled to join a firm that is well-known for its culture of collaboration, and I aim to play a meaningful role in further strengthening our position in Philadelphia and beyond."

Mr. Smith received a J.D. degree from Rutgers Law School and a B.A. degree from Hobart College.

Holland & Knight's corporate practice is ranked as a national first-tier firm in Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Corporate Law and M&A Law in the 2021 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" guide. The firm is consistently ranked among the Top 25 law firms in the nation advising on U.S. M&A transactions by deal count in Refinitiv and other league tables. Through the HK Deal Flow® program, Holland & Knight facilitates deal leads for clients and prospective clients by matching acquisition or capital raising opportunities with buyers and investors.