New York—Dentons, the global law firm, today announces the arrival of Michael Smith and Walter Van Dorn as partners in its New York office. Both partners join the firm's Corporate practice, expanding key global offerings, including corporate finance, capital markets and securities. 

Smith brings 25 years of experience advising clients on cross-border M&A, international capital markets, global fund formation, and corporate strategy and governance. He regularly advises issuers and underwriters in connection with public and private debt and equity offerings, including high yield debt, sovereign debt, structured products, Rule 144A, Regulation S and Canada-US MJDS offerings. The global nature of Smith's practice has led him to serve clients in the US, Canada, Latin America and the Middle East.

Van Dorn, who rejoins Dentons where he previously practiced for seven years, advises issuers, underwriters, broker-dealers and other financial institutions on securities and capital markets transactions including IPOs, public and private offerings of equity and debt securities (including sovereign debt), securities offerings under Rule 144A and Regulation S, mergers and acquisitions and the creation of ADR and GDR programs. Earlier in his career, Van Dorn served as Special Counsel in the Office of International Corporate Finance, Division of Corporate Finance at the SEC in Washington. His areas of responsibility there included offerings of equity securities and ADRs, offerings of debt securities by both corporate and government issuers, offerings under the multijurisdictional disclosure system with Canada (the MJDS) and mergers and acquisitions, tender and exchange offers involving non-US companies. He leverages this experience to guide clients across the world through complex compliance matters and transactions involving all aspects of the US securities laws, including the Securities Act, Exchange Act, Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank Act, JOBS Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

"We are delighted to welcome Mike and have Walter rejoin our growing New York team. Mike and Walter are accomplished lawyers with global practices that fit naturally to serve our clients in key markets across the world" said Mike McNamara, US CEO of Dentons. "In addition, our partners across the world look forward to collaborating with them to help our clients with their most pressing business issues that straddle all geographic lines." 

"The arrival of Mike and Walter presents an exciting opportunity for us to expand our corporate finance, capital markets capabilities and securities practice in the US and in critical growing markets across the world," said Mick Cochran, chair of Dentons' Corporate practice. "Mike and Walter are already well-known and respected by Dentons' lawyers across North America. We are impressed by the results they achieve for their clients and look forward to working with them."

Dentons offers clients more than 2,000 corporate and transactional lawyers in 60-plus countries. Members of our US team have closed more than 600 deals in the past five years, spanning a comprehensive range of sectors including private equity, manufacturing, health care, government, financial services, insurance, media, technology and real estate, among others.

Smith and Van Dorn join on the heels of several recent laterals to Dentons, including the recent move of Gerry Bender to the firm's Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy practice in New York; Gary Gartner and Jeffrey Scheine to the firm's Tax practice also in New York; former Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens and nationally-recognized litigator Mark Trigg who both joined in Atlanta; and well-known insurance and financial litigators Fred Reinke and Richard Dodge, who recently joined the firm in Washington, DC.

About Dentons

Across over 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organization by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com