Mr Joseph Smith > Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
919 THIRD AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10022
NEW YORK
United States
Joseph Smith photo

Work Department

Investment Management, Private Equity, Real Estate Capital Markets & REITs, Energy

Position

Joseph A. Smith represents private equity fund sponsors in connection with fund formation, the acquisition of portfolio investments and the implementation of exit strategies. In this capacity, Joe advises clients on securities, governance, ERISA, Investment Advisers Act and structural issues. He has extensive regulatory expertise, and wide-ranging experience with all alternative asset classes, including LBO funds, venture capital and later-stage growth equity funds, energy and infrastructure funds, credit funds, real estate funds and joint ventures, fund restructurings and other complex secondary transactions, and funds of funds. Joe has also represented many fund managers in connection with spinoffs and consolidations.

In addition to domestic representations, Joe has advised private equity clients in connection with the acquisition and structuring of portfolio investments throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia. His representation of asset managers in the real estate sector includes advice concerning REIT offerings and privatizations, partnership roll-ups and cross-border investments. Joe’s clients include Arel Capital, Coller Capital, DRA Advisors, DuPont Capital Management, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, GE Asset Management (now State Street Global Advisors), Harbert Management Corporation, Hemisfério Sul Investimentos, Intel, Investors Diversified Realty, Kotak Mahindra Group, LCN Capital Partners, Mauá Capital, Ram Realty Services, REAL Infrastructure Partners, Royalton Partners, Value4Capital, VCFA Group, Vortus Investments and Westport Capital Partners. Joe has been recognized as a leading practitioner by Chambers GlobalChambers USAExpert Guide to the World’s Leading Banking, Finance and Transactional Law Lawyers, The Legal 500 US and New York Super Lawyers. Most recently, Joe was quoted by Private Equity International in the article “LPAs: Finding the Right Balance” and by Private Funds Management in the article “Ringing the Changes.” Joe co-authored the “United States Fundraising” chapter in The Private Equity Review (Law Business Research Ltd.) and he contributed to the Fund Formation and Incentives Report (Private Equity International in association with SRZ). 

Memberships

American Bar Association; New York City Bar Association.

Education

New York University School of Law, JD; Columbia University, AB

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP is well equipped to handle a broad range of funds in the private equity space, where they cover credit funds, special opportunity funds, real assets as well as new developments in the area such as hybrid funds focused on blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Overseeing the New York based department are Stephanie Breslow, who has expertise in the formation of private equity funds and the management and structuring of investment management businesses, Peter Greene, who is well versed in compliance and regulatory requirements for asset management companies, and alternative investments lawyer David Nissenbaum. Further key names in the team are liquidity funds lawyer Heather Wyckoff, real estate funds expert Phyllis Schwartz , and Joseph Smith, who clients praise as ‘first rate’. Among the team changes in the last year were the partner promotions of Daniel Blumenthal and John Weldon in January 2023.