PHOENIX – August 8, 2018 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continues to expand its Phoenix office with the addition of Jake B. Smith as a shareholder in its Corporate and Tax Practices. A seasoned business lawyer, who also counsels clients on federal and state income tax matters, Smith joins from Squire Patton Boggs, where he was a partner.
Smith is the latest of five attorneys to join the Phoenix office this year. The others include litigator Michael Liburdi, government law & policy attorney Daniel Seiden, labor and employment attorney Michael Mason, and hospitality and real estate attorney Caroline Pricher.
“It has been an exciting year for our Phoenix office in terms of growth and the expansion of key practice areas,” said Phoenix Managing Shareholder Nicole M. Goodwin, named last month among the 2018 “Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” by Arizona Business Magazine. “Jake’s deep transactional experience will further strengthen our office and serve as a great asset to our firm and clients worldwide.”
Smith advises clients on business transactions and related tax matters, including tax-free and taxable mergers and acquisitions, complex joint ventures, private equity acquisitions and sales, venture capital, real estate transactions, and sophisticated business agreements for limited liability companies, partnerships, and corporations. Smith regularly assists clients with private equity transactions, including the formation of private equity funds and corresponding acquisitions. In addition to advising companies in a broad range of industries, Smith has extensive experience with structuring and negotiating real estate joint ventures.
“Jake is a highly regarded transactional lawyer whose experience in tax, M&A, and private equity complements the corporate lawyers in our global practice,” said Alan I. Annex, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Corporate Practice. “We are very excited about the opportunity to add his experience and vision to the wide-ranging and multi-national corporate resources we offer clients in key markets and industries.”
Smith received his J.D., with honors, as well as his B.A. from University of Kansas. He earned his LLM in Taxation from New York University.
“I am excited to join Greenberg Traurig,” Smith said. “The firm’s global platform and culture of collaboration and innovation, combined with its breadth and depth of global resources across so many legal disciplines, is a winning proposition for clients.”
About Greenberg Traurig’s Phoenix Office: Greenberg Traurig’s Phoenix attorneys practice locally and nationally at the intersection of business, government, and the law. Combining local experience and global reach, the Phoenix team represents clients in matters related to commercial litigation, securities, mergers and acquisition, municipal and corporate finance, intellectual property, labor and employment, real estate, and bankruptcy.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.