Sawyer Smith
Sawyer Smith is an associate in the Capital Markets/Securities Practice Group in the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone, LLP. His practice focuses on state and federal corporate governance and securities compliance matters as well as public and private securities offerings. This includes reporting obligations under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, compliance with NYSE and NASDAQ listing standards as well as the production of required filings with the SEC, FINRA and state securities offices, initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, and debt, equity and derivative offerings. Sawyer also works with public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions transactions and other corporate matters.
- Advised Brand Engagement Network Inc. (BEN) in connection with a business combination with special-purpose acquisition company DHC Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: DHCA) and a PIPE financing. The transaction would result in BEN, a provider of personalized customer engagement AI technology, becoming a U.S. publicly listed company with an implied initial enterprise value of approximately $358 million.
- Represented Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) as issuer’s counsel in its offering of approximately $80.2 million of 5.25% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2026.
- Represented NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXGN), a leading provider of innovative cloud-based healthcare technology solutions, in its acquisition of TSI Healthcare, a privately held value-added reseller located in Chapel Hill, NC.
- Assisted a publicly traded blockchain technologies company with the sale of a senior secured convertible note with an initial principal amount of $33,333,333 as well as a warrant to purchase up to 3,333,333 shares of the company’s common stock.
- Assisted a publicly traded blockchain technologies company with the sale of 1,500,000 shares of the company’s common stock as well as a warrant to purchase up to 1,500,000 shares of the company’s common stock.
- Represented a newly-formed publicly-traded-provider of infrastructure products and services in obtaining a $600 million credit facility in connection with the company's spin-off from its parent corporation.
- Represented a publicly traded telecommunications software developer in an $11 million Confidentially Marketed Public Offering of common stock.
- Represented Construction Partners, Inc. and the selling stockholders in a firm commitment underwritten secondary offering of Class A common stock.
- Represented Sanara MedTech Inc. in a firm commitment underwritten offering of common stock.
- Represented a publicly traded blockchain technologies company in the sale of $42 million in convertible debt and equity securities.
- Advising on reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
- Preparing securities filings, including Schedule 13D and Form 4.
Education
J.D., Cornell Law School, 2020, CALI Award Recipient – State & Local Government
B.B.A., Finance, Texas A&M University Mays School of Business, 2017, magna cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi
Clerkships
Summer Law Clerk for Robert Troyer at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, 2018
Admissions
Texas
New York
Haynes and Boone, LLP advised Brand Engagement Network Inc. (BEN) in connection with a business combination with special-purpose acquisition company DHC Acquisition Corp. and a PIPE financing. The transaction closed after market on Thursday, March 14, and the combined company began trading on Nasdaq Friday morning under the ticker symbol BNAI. The combination results in BEN, a provider of personal [...]
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