Edward P. Smith

Partner

Practice Description

Ed Smith has been advising Chadbourne’s large publicly held corporate clients since 1967. His experience covers mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs, capital market transactions and other corporate transactions and advice.

Mr. Smith also advises on executive compensation and employee benefits matters, including incentive and other executive compensation plans, employment agreements, stock option and other equity compensation arrangements and issues arising under ERISA and Sections 409A and 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Representative Matters

• Represented North American Galvanizing and Coatings in its 2010 acquisition by AZZ Incorporated by way of public tender offer and merger.
• Represented Fortune Brands in its 2009 public offering of $400 million of notes due 2012.
• Represented Timex in its 2009 acquisition of trademarks from Marc Ecko Enterprises. 
• Represented Fortune Brands in its 2009 public offering of $500 million of notes due 2014.
• Represented Jim Beam Brands in its 2008 acquisition of the Cruzan rum brand and distillery.
• Represented the shareholders of Parkridge Holdings in the 2007 sale of their shares to ProLogis.
• Represented Jim Beam Brands in its 2006 acquisition of distilled spirits and wine brands valued at $5 billion from Allied Domecq and Pernod Ricard.
• Represented Fortune Brands in its 2006 offering of €800 million of notes.
• Represented Fortune Brands in its 2005 Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) registered sale of $2 billion of notes.
• Represented Fortune Brands, Inc. in the 2005 spin-off of its ACCO World Corporation office products unit and subsequent merger of ACCO with General Binding Corporation.
• Represented The LongChamp Group in its sale to Silvercrest Asset Management in 2004.
• Represented Fortune Brands, Inc. in its acquisition of Cobra Golf for $700 million.
• Represented Fortune Brands, Inc. in the spin-off of its Gallaher subsidiary, which had a market value of $3.1 billion.
• Represented Jim Beam Brands in the establishment of Maxxium, a worldwide distilled spirits distribution joint venture among Jim Beam Brands, Remy Cointreau and Highland Distillers.
• Represented Jim Beam Brands in the establishment of Future Brands LLC, a distilled spirits distribution joint venture in the U.S. with V&S Vin & Spirit AB, manufacturer of Absolut Vodka.
• Represented American Brands, Inc. in its sale of The Franklin Life Insurance Company to American General Corporation for $1.2 billion.
• Represented American Brands, Inc. in the sale of The American Tobacco Company to B.A.T. Industries for $1 billion.
• Represented Whitney & Co. in its $685 million acquisition of Herbalife.
• Represented the management group that purchased Modern Women, Inc. and its subsequent resale to Charming Shoppes, Inc.
• Represented the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Swisher Cigar in the going-private transaction of this publicly held company.

Honors

Publications

Speeches and Events