Judson Hawk Simmons
Judson (or “Jud”) Simmons is a seasoned attorney who serves as Counsel to the Corporate Section of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP(“SGR”).
Mr. Simmons has a broad based international, corporate, and commercial finance practice, representing U.S. and foreign clients in connection with domestic, overseas, and cross-border business transactions. His areas of experience include the following: diverse types of domestic and international commercial and financing transactions; distributorships and other sales arrangements; strategic alliances and joint ventures; international trade compliance and business operations; government contracting; diversity contracting for minority and disadvantaged business enterprises; intellectual property licensing; corporate finance matters (including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital/private equity, mezzanine finance, private placement syndications, public offerings, and American depository receipts); and various general corporate and corporate governance matters. Mr. Simmons has extensive experience on both sides of financing transactions having represented a variety of financial institutions, investment bankers and other financial intermediaries, venture capitalist, and private equity/hedge funds, as well as companies either seeking debt or equity financing or seeking to refinance or reorganize their outstanding indebtedness. His practice has involved transactions throughout the United States and in more than 30 countries around the world.
Mr. Simmons earned his BS degree, with Special Attainments in Commerce (Accounting, Business Administration, and Finance), from Washington & Lee University, where he served as Secretary of the Student Body and was elected to Who’s Who Among Students of American Colleges and Universities. He also spent a year abroad at the University of Nottingham, England, studying Economics and Economic Development, where he received a Certificate of High Honours from his tutor, Dr. Brian Tew. Mr. Simmons earned his JD degree, cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was the Executive Editor of the Georgia Law Review. After law school, he clerked for The Honorable David W. Dyer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Judicial Circuit in Miami, Florida later, Mr. Simmons joined the Law School Faculty of Columbia University in New York, New York, as an Associate-in-Law. While teaching at Columbia, he was a JSD Candidate (studying in the areas of international transactions and equipment financing, legal education, and jurisprudence). Mr. Simmons earned both a Certificate in Foreign and Comparative Law from Columbia University’s Parker School and also a LLM degree from the Columbia University School of Law.
Mr. Simmons has represented clients operating in (or financing their customers’ operations in) a variety of industries ranging from consumer products and services to the basic materials sector (including chemical companies, foundries, manufactures and fabricators of industrial parts, oil and gas drilling and exploration, power producers, pulp and paper plants, and refineries). Some of his significant representations have involved manufacturers, producers, distributors/wholesalers/value-added resellers, retailers, and service providers in the following industry segments: beverages and food products; broadband media and broadcasting; design, engineering, construction, and equipment procurement for industrial facilities; highly engineered avionics, communications equipment, controls, and other specialty equipment; home and office furnishings; hospitality; internet based services; logistics; outsourcing services; packaging; pharmaceuticals; printing; professional sports; software and technology; supply chain management; telecommunications and telematics; textiles; utilities; and waste management. In addition, he has extensive experience working with clients in the healthcare-delivery field, particularly rural, community hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and providers of ancillary healthcare services.
Mr. Simmons previously served as an adjunct professor of International Business Transactions at Emory University School of Law. He has authored a number of papers on various aspects of international business activities. He also has been a frequent guest lecturer concerning international business topics at numerous continuing legal education seminars.
For a number of clients, Mr. Simmons has effectively served as outside general counsel, overseeing and supervising all of their legal needs, including tax issues and planning; diverse types of litigation; real estate matters (including acquisition, development, divestiture, financing, and leasing transactions); executive compensation; health, retirement, and other social (ERISA) benefits; labor relations; non-discrimination employment law violations; and other human resources matters. Because Mr. Simmons has previously had bottom-line responsibility as the President of a developer and manager of retirement facilities and continuing care communities, as well as the Executive Vice President of a public company in the long-term care industry, he brings a practical and expansive perspective to his legal advice for clients in helping them to achieve their business goals.
