Business Attorney & Strategic Advisor
Practice Areas
Corporate Transactions/Matters
- Business Sale/Brokering Assistance
- M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions)
- Joint Ventures
- Entity Formations (Corporations, LLCs, etc.)
- Shareholder Agreements
- LLC Operating Agreements
- General Strategic Business Advising
Commercial Real Estate
- Purchase and Sale Agreements
- Leases
- Construction Agreements
- Real Estate Development Projects
Miscellaneous Contracts
- License Agreements
- Sponsorship Agreements
- Employment/Consulting Agreements
- Distributorship/Sales Representative Agreements
Business Brokering
Included among the services Ander provides is working with clients on preparing for and assisting in the sale of a business. He first takes the time to explain how the process tends to unfold; this understanding can greatly mitigate the anxiousness that’s normal for a business owner contemplating the sale of their business. Once a client has a good understanding of what to expect, and Ander has a good understanding of the business, he then works with his client to undertake a pre-sale assessment of the business well before starting any third-party conversations. Only once the internal “house” is in order, they brainstorm appropriate potential buyer parties. He then guides the process of offer inquiries, through the negotiating purchase, all the way to closing.
About Ander
Ander Smith has broad experience in working both as in-house counsel and attorney at top-notch law firms. He regularly works with small business owners on a wide array of legal-business issues, but has also served as lead attorney in transactions with well-known organizations such as Abbott, Boston Scientific, Hard Rock, Yale University, Sodexo, DreamWorks, Thermo Fisher, Ford, IBM, and Travelocity, to name just a few.
Before venturing out independently, Ander served as General Counsel for Ringland-Johnson, Inc., a regional construction, where he oversaw all legal matters, from routine contract negotiations to structuring joint venture. Additionally, he analyzed legal issues on potential developments and structured financial pro forma and equity arrangements for Ringland’s real estate development affiliate.
Ander’s in-house experience also includes working as Senior Counsel with Qwest Communications (now CenturyLink) in Denver, Colorado. At Qwest, he was one of four attorneys responsible for negotiating agreements with Qwest’s Fortune 1000 customers. Additionally, he assisted on various strategic transactions, including a multi-billion-dollar joint venture between Qwest and IBM.
Prior to starting his own law firm, Ander worked at the following top-caliber law firms:
- Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in Chicago, Illinois
- Hinshaw & Culbertson in Rockford, Illinois
- Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC in Denver, Colorado
Education:
- University of Illinois, College of Law – Champaign,
Illinois J.D., with high Honors (1996) - Augustana College – Rock Island, Illinois
B.A. in Economics, with Honors (1992) - Monterey Institute of International Studies – Monterey, California
Non-Degree, Summer Intensive Language Program, Mandarin Chinese (1990)
