With a significant slant towards franchisors and distributors, the Franchise and Distribution Law Group serves as the sole legal counsel for many firms. Continually growing and enhancing a practice that commenced in 1989, the firm’s Franchise and Distribution Law Group is recognized as a national leader in franchise and distribution law. Our attorneys counsel franchisors and franchisees at all stages of their development. From advising on fraud and contractual disputes to post-termination dispute, we are equipped to handle all areas in franchise law. In addition to offering counsel to franchisors in a variety of corporate matters, we also handle franchising… Read more
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP’s Global Immigration & Mobility practice provides corporations and their people with strategic legal support and solutions. Recognizing the ever-increasing opportunities for non-U.S. based companies to establish operations here, as well as the continuing push for U.S. companies to expand globally, we have tailored our practice and its resources to offer expertise in all manner of inbound immigration, outbound immigration, and transnational immigration – the movement of a company’s personnel and talent across the globe efficiently, legally and cost-effectively. A key to the success of a business is to have the right talent and best people on board, no matter where in the world they currently… Read more
The Global Transport (Aviation) Practice of Smith Gambrell commenced in 1927 with its representation of the predecessor to Eastern Airlines and began to prosper alongside the ascent of Eastern Airlines. For over 60 years, Smith Gambrell served as Eastern’s general external legal counsel and represented the airline in virtually all aspects of its business until its sale to Texas Air in 1989. During the years since its inception, Smith Gambrell’s Global Transport Industry Group has greatly broadened its industry representation to include other airlines, finance, and operating lessors, financiers, aviation equipment owners, managers and investors, aviation joint ventures and joint… Read more
As disputes affecting the insurance and reinsurance industry have grown more varied and complex, so too have the legal skills and industry knowledge base required to serve clients effectively. We are immersed not just in the intricacies of reinsurance custom and practice—we also bring a deep understanding of the commercial relationships upon which industry participants depend. Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP has successfully represented a broad cross-section of participants in the insurance industry at almost every level. Whether the client is an insurer, reinsurer, agent or broker, and whether the matter is transactional, regulatory or litigation-oriented, our attorneys have the… Read more
Our litigators pursue insurance recoveries for clients that need experienced insurance lawyers who are willing and able to be adverse to the biggest insurance carriers. Our clients (whether as the primary or the additional insureds) include corporations, claims administrators, insurance brokers, and individuals. We have secured millions of dollars in coverage for our clients, often under flexible fee structures (including full and partial contingency arrangements). Our experiences include evaluation of and pursuit of coverage under a wide range of policies, including commercial general liability, excess, property, directors and officers, professional liability, and representations and warranty policies. Representative engagements include: Securing a $14-million-dollar recovery… Read more
SGR attorneys counsel and represent investment advisors on a broad range of issues such as: Organizational and capital structures including operating and partnership agreements, holding company structures, tax planning, and business continuity planning Preparation and updating of federal and state registration filings including Form ADVs and the analysis and resolution of issues regarding the availability and scope of exemptions from registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 Operational and regulatory compliance with federal and state laws and regulations governing advisers including the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, the Securities Act… Read more
Our Mergers and Acquisitions attorneys have extensive experience representing private and public companies in a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, as well as equity and debt financings, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, and going-private transactions. We regularly advise clients across a broad range of industries, including business services, consumer products, retailing, distribution and logistics, energy, financial services, insurance, franchising, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial supply, specialty packaging, chemicals, steel, hospitality, food and restaurant, software, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. Our clients include family-owned businesses, closely held businesses, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, entrepreneurs, employee… Read more
Non-Profit Organizations include national organizations of physicians and surgeons, a national amateur athletic association, civic organizations, charitable groups, educational institutions and foundations and religious groups, including the Atlanta archdiocese of a major religious group. Typical help for those clients includes the following: Tax planning to maintain tax-exempt status and to avoid unrelated business income tax Employment issues, including compliance with federal, state and local laws regarding employee discipline, discharge, and compensation Antitrust counseling to avoid claims that a trade association has violated federal and state antitrust laws in its meetings among competitors or in its standard-setting Trademark filing and litigation… Read more
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP attorneys have extensive experience representing a wide array of investors and issuers in private equity and venture capital transactions. Investor clients include buyout firms, venture capital firms, funds and domestic and foreign investors of all types. Issuers range from established operating companies in mature industries to startup technology companies. We advise these clients at significant stages of their life cycles, including fund formation, investment of start-up and growth capital, acquisitions of platform companies or add-ons, joint ventures, management buyouts, divestitures, and recapitalizations. In addition to working on hundreds of M&A transactions, our attorneys have vast… Read more
We represent public clients in the entire scope of securities matters, including public and private equity and debt offerings and other capital raising transactions, as well as in restructurings, mergers, acquisitions and similar transactions. We likewise represent public companies in the entire scope of securities reporting and compliance matters, including the preparation of regular recurring annual and quarterly financial reports, proxy materials, annual reports to shareholders and other reports required to be filed by officers, directors and principal shareholders. Our securities lawyers also assist our clients in connection with various employee benefit plans involving securities, including incentive stock option plans,… Read more
