Terrence Smith Email & Phone Number

United States / Europe

We are a lower-middle market private equity firm making investments in, and partnering with, great companies.Board Memberships (present / past): - Performance Stamping (www.performancestamping.com) - J&E Companies (www.jecompanies.com) - TPE Midstream, LLC d/b/a ZEVAC (www.getzevac.com)Willis & Smith Capital was founded by co-founders Eric Willis and Terry Smith to create a private equity firm focused on partnering with successful business owners and management that can benefit from new capital and harnessing our operational expertise – whether to support rapid growth, execute an owner’s succession plan, stand up a corporate carve-out, or identify a needed restructure. We bring deep private equity expertise and uniquely, substantial experience outside of the traditional investment community. Most importantly, we value a fierce alignment of interests – we invest our own money in each transaction ensuring a true partnership and an owner's perspective.

San Diego / San Francisco Bay Area

Boutique business law firm providing strategic legal counsel to entrepreneurs and emerging companies, including early stage start-ups, their executives, and investors.Substantial M&A experience in the acquisition of lower-middle market businesses. I also act as comprehensive general corporate counsel to select companies, ranging from pre-revenue to several millions in revenue.

Greater San Diego Area

Rapidly growing lower-middle market engineering & construction management firm in the water space; successfully acquired in a private equity transaction in 2018. Part of executive team that managed firm-wide business and operational issues. General Counsel responsible for all legal issues, including M&A and new venture development. As a member of the board of directors, developed strategy and assessed further collaboration and global opportunities with partner Fluor Corporation (Fortune 500 company) through separate joint venture entity, Fluor-Brady, LLC.Negotiated various commercial agreements including joint venture agreements; services agreements; design-build agreements; procurement agreements; intellectual property agreements, including licensing agreement, SaaS and software agreements, NDAs; financing, loan, and lease agreements; and provide general corporate law, general employment law, and regulatory advice and counsel. Managed outside counsel, and resolve, settle, and assist in drafting settlements in respect of disputes and litigation.Initially recruited by the CEO and sent to Qatar for a one-year project to evaluate the business, legal, and regulatory framework for expansion into Qatar and the UAE markets following BRADY’s successful involvement in a large-profile water storage project.

Oakland, California

#1 Rated Treasury Services BankI negotiated and drafted hundreds of complex services agreements, and related procurement agreements, with counsel to and division management of global Fortune 500 companies, spanning the full range of treasury services.I cultivated key relationships with executives and their teams allowing for an integrated approach to solving high-priority business goals, which increased time to revenue and significantly reduced costs.I advised Legal, Risk, Compliance, Operations, Sales and other business unit groups within Bank of America regarding significant contract risks and how to solve them; acted as the “generalist” advising such groups and specialized legal groups.In 2011, I led negotiations of a 156-client high-profile remediation effort in response to an OCC mandate that involved successfully negotiating with banks located in 25+ countries.

Greater San Diego Area

1,000+ attorney Am-Law Top 50 law firm engaged in broad-based corporate practice on behalf of private companies and public companies, with particular emphasis on emerging high-technology companies.Primary transactions included venture capital finance ($1M - $20M), mergers and acquisitions ($3M - $400M), commercial contract negotiation, drafting and review, corporate governance, and general business representation.Representative industries included software and information technology, telecommunications, semiconductors, life sciences, and clean technologies.

Ll.M., (With Distinction), Securities & Financial Regulation

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

CALI Award: Corporation Finance CALI Award: Business Planning

Bachelor Of Business Administration (B.B.A.)