Gary Smith practices in a broad range of international transactions, with particular emphasis on cross-border M&A and financing transactions.
Mr. Smith's experience in the M&A area includes inbound and outbound buyouts, international joint ventures, and minority investments in media, high-tech, and life sciences industries. He has also represented senior and mezzanine lenders in numerous acquisition financings and other secured syndicated loans, including a leveraged buy-out financing transaction that was cited by a leading financial publisher as the "Bond Deal of the Year" and a secured acquisition financing transaction that was cited as the "Most Innovative Deal of the Year."
Mr. Smith is ranked as a Band 1 leading lawyer by the 2012 editions of Chambers Global and Chambers Asia for his M&A and corporate law expertise. He has also been consistently selected as a leading lawyer in M&A and corporate law by International Financial Law Review (IFLR), The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Best Lawyers.
Mr. Smith received his J.D. in 1990 from Columbia University, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, and a recipient of the Recognition of Achievement in International Law, with Honors. Mr. Smith also attended the University of Tokyo Graduate School from 1985-1987 as a Japan Ministry of Education Scholar.
Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Mr. Smith was the managing partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP's Tokyo Office. He is admitted in Japan as a Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi.