Mr. Smith has 20 years of transaction experience in both investment banking and private equity. As an investment banker, Mr. Smith has advised both public and privately-held companies in buyside, sellside and strategic advisory assignments across a number of industry sectors including healthcare services, medical devices, specialty pharmaceuticals, industrial products, consumer products and business services.

Prior to joining Lazard Middle Market, Mr. Smith was a managing director in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Wachovia Securities, where he led the effort responsible for advising privately-held, middle market companies through sellside transactions. Mr. Smith also previously ran the Healthcare M&A practice at Wachovia and oversaw the firm's coverage of middle market financial sponsors. Mr. Smith was an investment banker with Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. when the firm was sold to First Union Corp. (later Wachovia). Mr. Smith has previously worked in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Lehman Brothers in New York, and as an associate at Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm.

Mr. Smith holds a masters of business administration from The Darden School at the University of Virginia, and earned his bachelor of arts degree from Williams College, where he also studied at Oxford University.