Mike Smith

Michael S. Smith

Corporate Attorney

An experienced corporate attorney, representing clients from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies to U.S. government agencies, both as outside counsel and in-house attorney, Mike brings a unique perspective to the goal of solving corporate legal problems.  Not only has he practiced corporate and securities law for over 30 years, he is also an experienced entrepreneur, business founder and CEO.  Mike knows what it is to be the “client.”

Mike started his firm in 2011 to bring in-house counsel services to small and mid-sized businesses that are too small to have their own legal departments.  He understands that small businesses face many of the same legal issues and problems that their large company counterparts do, but historically have not had access to the same legal tools.  Mike brings his perspective as an attorney, entrepreneur and executive manager to provide proactive legal advice, best practices, practical solutions and applied business strategies to support his clients’ goals, solve problems and promote business growth.

Prior to forming his own firm, Mike was the CEO of a small public company headquartered in Rochester, NY.  Beginning in 2003, he was instrumental in reinventing the company by selling off or disposing of existing business units, starting up an IT services business and generating consistently increasing revenues in a very competitive environment.  Customers included federal government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Headquarters), the U.S. Postal Service, State governments and enterprise level commercial clients. 

Mike has practiced law for several major law firms, served as General Counsel to an investment banking firm (also heading up that firm’s Corporate Finance Department), and worked in the General Counsel’s office of a large federal government agency (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission).   He earned his B.A. from Cornell University and his J.D. from the Cornell University School of Law.  Mike and his wife Barb live in Brighton.