Edwin Smith concentrates his practice in commercial law, debt financings, structured financings, workouts, bankruptcies, and international transactions. He is particularly knowledgeable on commercial law and insolvency matters, both domestic and cross-border. His representations have included those in major bankruptcies including Refco, Lehman, the City of Detroit, and PG&E. He often advises financial institutions on documentation and risk management issues.
Ed advises creditors and counter-parties on commercial and insolvency risks in sales, leasing, financing, investment securities, and derivatives and repo-style transactions and has represented parties in major insolvencies. He has been a guest speaker for bar and trade organizations including ALI-CLE, the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the International Insolvency Institute, the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, the Boston Hedge Fund Group, the Commercial Finance Association, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the Equipment Leasing Association, the Practicing Law Institute, the Risk Management Association, and various local bar associations. Having actively participated as a Uniform Law Commissioner in the drafting of a number of the recent revisions to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), Chambers USA noted he “probably knows as much about UCC as anybody in the country.”
Public
Senior Statespeople, Banking & Finance, USA, Chambers Global (2024)
Senior Statespeople, Banking & Finance, Massachusetts, Chambers USA (2021–2023)
Senior Statespeople, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Massachusetts, Chambers USA (2021–2024)
Ranked, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity, Philadelphia & Surrounds, Chambers USA (2022)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, New York, Chambers USA (2021)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, USA, Chambers Global (2006, 2010–2024)
Band 1, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Massachusetts, Chambers USA (2018–2020)
Ranked, Banking and Finance and Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Chambers USA (2005, 2007, 2009–2019)
Ranked, USA – Nationwide: Banking & Finance, Chambers USA (2019, 2020)
Star Individual, Banking and Finance, Massachusetts, Chambers USA (2012–2017)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, Chambers 100 USA 2013 Shortlist
Recommended, Finance: Structured finance: derivatives and structured products, The Legal 500 US (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021–2023)
Ranked, Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization; Corporate, and Equipment Finance Law, The Best Lawyers in America (1998–2012, 2014–2019, 2022, 2023)
Lawyer of the Year, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization, Boston, The Best Lawyers in America (2014, 2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Banking and Finance Law, Boston, The Best Lawyers in America (2013, 2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Law, Boston, The Best Lawyers in America (2012, 2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Equipment Finance Law, Boston, The Best Lawyers in America (2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Banking and Finance Law, New York, The Best Lawyers in America (2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, New York, The Best Lawyers in America (2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Law, New York, The Best Lawyers in America (2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Equipment Finance Law, New York, The Best Lawyers in America (2020)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law, Boston (2023, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Boston (2023, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, Boston (2023, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Equipment Finance Law, Boston (2023)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law, New York (2023, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, New York (2023, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, New York (2023–2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Equipment Finance Law, New York (2023)
Recognized, 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers, Lawdragon (2020, 2024)
Recognized, 500 Leading US Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers, Lawdragon (2020, 2022)
Recognized, BTI Client Service All-Stars (2017)
Recognized, Who’s Who Legal (2016)
Recognized, Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Banking Lawyers (2012)
Leading Expert, United States, Expert Guides: Guide to the World’s Leading Banking Lawyers (2009)
Recognized, Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2004–2007)
Recognized, Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon 3000 (2006)
Recipient, Homer Kripke Achievement Award by the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers (2012)
Recipient, Achievement Award jointly given by the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Uniform Law Foundation (2013)
Recipient, Excellence Award from the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association (2009)
Life Member, Uniform Law Commissioner, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Chair, Drafting Committee for the 2022 Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code to address emerging technologies
Chair, Drafting Committee to Amend the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (now the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act)
Chair, Joint Review Committee for the 2010 amendment to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code
Drafting Committees for the 1995 revisions of Article 5 (letters of credit) and the 1999 revisions of Article 9 (secured transactions) of the Uniform Commercial Code
Chair, Drafting Committee for 2002 amendments to Articles 3 (negotiable instruments) and 4 (bank deposits and collections) of the Uniform Commercial Code
Drafting Committee for the Uniform Certificate of Title Act, the Uniform Assignment of Rents Act, the Revised Uniform Liability Company Act, the Uniform Protected Series Act, the Uniform Regulation of Virtual Currency Businesses Act, and the Uniform Supplemental Commercial Law for the Uniform Regulation of Virtual-Currency Businesses Act
Past Chair, Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association
Member, Permanent Editorial Board for the Uniform Commercial Code
US Delegate to United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) working groups on international receivables financing and secured transactions guide
Life Member, American Law Institute
Board Member and Treasurer, National Bankruptcy Conference
Past President, American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
Past Board Member, American College of Bankruptcy
International Insolvency Institute
Faculty Lecturer, Secured Transactions, Northeastern University Law School
Teaching Faculty, Morin Center for Banking Law Studies at Boston University Law School; courses include Secured Transactions, Transnational Lending and Trade Finance
Faculty Lecturer, Secured Transactions, Suffolk Law School
Faculty Lecturer, Secured Transactions, Harvard Law School
Member, Boston Bar Association
Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
Member, New York Bar Association
Member, New York City Bar Association, Uniform Laws Committee