ATLANTA (January 26) – Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton announced today that attorneys John F. Sandy Smith and Lou Barbieri have joined the firm’s Atlanta office as partners. Messrs. Smith and Barbieri will be members of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Team within the Corporate, Finance, & Real Estate Department.

“Sandy and Lou are a phenomenal team, who have practiced together over nearly a decade. We are excited to welcome them to Kilpatrick Townsend,” said Rich Cicchillo, Kilpatrick Townsend’s Team Leader for its Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Practice. “The addition of Sandy and Lou aligns with our firm and team strategy and will directly benefit many practices within the firm. Their experience and dynamic practices provide our client base with outstanding resources.”

“We are honored to be joining Kilpatrick Townsend. A firm that has a deep bench of practices to meet our clients’ needs,” said Sandy Smith. Lou Barbieri added, “The firm’s commitment to client service and collaboration is an ideal platform, and we look forward to working closely with the entire Kilpatrick team to serve our clients’ needs in this ever-changing legal landscape.”

Mr. Smith’s practice includes negotiating and completing mergers, sales, acquisitions, stock purchases, and other sophisticated transactions for companies nationally across many industries.

Mr. Smith is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, middle market growth companies, and equity funds and their portfolio companies. He counsels businesses and their boards, and leads teams of attorneys to help clients plan and efficiently achieve their business objectives.

Mr. Smith served as a Trustee of Stanford University and is the Founding Chair of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS) at Stanford University. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). As a member of the MBA Advisory Board of The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Mr. Smith has served as lecturer and executive in residence.

Mr. Smith is the Founding Chair of Odyssey Atlanta, a K-12 educational program. He serves as a Trustee of the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School and is an Advisory Board member at the Carter Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Mr. Smith also has served on the boards of The Paideia School, Prevent Blindness Georgia, and The National Kidney Foundation of Georgia. He also served on the President’s Counsel of the Woodruff Arts Center, Alumni Board of Governors at The Westminster Schools, and Leadership Atlanta.

Mr. Smith has been honored by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a top lawyer in Corporate M&A and he has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Smith earned his J.D. from Duke University, his M.B.A. from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and his B.A., with honors, from Stanford University.

Mr. Barbieri has over 10 years of experience representing corporate clients in general corporate and M&A transactions. He regularly advises companies in the technology, healthcare, and retail industries, including grocers, food storage, and supply management companies. Mr. Barbieri guides clients through complex operating regulatory landscapes and sophisticated transactions from formation to exit, including equity and borrowing financings and sale transactions. He also has significant experience advising equity funds and their portfolio companies.

Mr. Barbieri is Chairman of Rebuilding Together Atlanta, founder of the Barbieri-Hunt Scholarship, and is a member of multiple other non-profit, Atlanta-based organizations.

Mr. Barbieri earned his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he was a member of the Florida Law Review. He earned his B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Stetson University.

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