Kelley L. Smith

Expertise

Kelley Smith is an experienced transactional attorney whose practice focuses on commercial matters, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate structuring and counseling.

Kelley provides guidance to domestic and international companies on corporate matters, commercial contracts, distribution arrangements and entity structures. Kelley’s work encompasses a host of industries including retail, fashion, electrical, automotive, transportation and food technology. She also has experience with private equity and venture capital transactions and franchisor-franchisee relationships.

In her transactional work, Kelley helps buyers and sellers manage risk and resolve issues during the deal process to reach a closing that meets their strategic needs. During transactions, she coordinates due diligence investigations, drafts and negotiates the principal agreement and ancillary documents, incorporates deal support from practice area professionals, manages closings and assists with post-closing integration.

In all cases, Kelley’s counsel is based on a practical approach to legal issues that prioritizes the client’s business needs.

Kelley is co-chair of the Ambassadors Board of Legal Aid Chicago, which provides quality, free legal services to people living in poverty in Cook County, Illinois.

Outside of her legal practice, Kelley is an enthusiastic international traveler. Over the last decade she has visited Austria, Botswana, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Panama, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Zambia.