Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, P.C. announced today that David Smith has joined the firm as a Shareholder, in its Santa Monica office. Mr. Smith will continue to focus his practice on corporate transactions, private equity, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital.

“David has broad industry experience and knowledge which makes him an excellent choice to expand Stradling’s corporate practice in Los Angeles,” said David Lafitte, Shareholder and Director at Stradling. “The firm has a well-respected venture capital, private equity and M&A team and is committed to expanding those practices in LA. He’s a terrific addition to our team as he brings tremendous experience in the VC and PE space which will be key to attracting new clients to the Santa Monica office.”

Mr. Smith’s specific practice areas include mergers, tender offers, recapitalizations, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital and reorganization of distressed assets and companies. Mr. Smith has acted on behalf of acquirers, targets, boards of directors, pension funds, private equity and venture capital investors and banks in many complex domestic and cross-border transactions.

Mr. Smith has assisted a wide range of clients over the course of his career including Sumitomo Corporation of America, Sempra Energy, Entegra Power, Puget Sound Energy, LADWP, Alberta Investment Management Corporation, Amonix, The Walt Disney Company, eBay, Illumina and Accredited Home Lenders to name a few.

“Stradling has an excellent reputation. It is a well-established regional firm with six offices strategically located throughout the state of California – Santa Monica being the newest office. I am really looking forward to helping the firm expand and increase its share of the LA market,” said Mr. Smith.

He received his J.D. [magna cum laude & salutatorian] from The Dickinson School of Law at the Pennsylvania State University in 1999 where he participated on the Dickinson Law Review and was a member of the Woolsack Honor Society founded in 1920 for the purpose of recognizing academic excellence. Prior to that he received his B.S. from Saint Joseph’s University in 1992.

Bar admissions include the State of California and New York. David is also a Director with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, a community-based organization dedicated to educating America’s young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society.

David joins Stradling from Dewey & LeBoeuf where he was a partner practicing in their Los Angeles office.

Stradling is one of California’s leading business law firms with 100 attorneys practicing in six offices including Newport Beach, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica. The corporate department is engaged in the full spectrum of public and private mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity transactions of all sizes. The group’s clients include emerging and high growth public and private companies as well as private equity funds and venture capital groups. The firm has been recognized for its expertise, responsiveness and outstanding client service and received 2012 designations from U.S. News in its Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings as well as Chambers and Partners.