Experience
Smith Goffman Partners, New York (November 2023 – Present)
Co-Founder and Co-CEO
Aurora Capital Partners, Los Angeles (2011 – 2023)
- Member, Investment Committee Aurora Equity Partners V
- Member, Investment Committee Aurora Equity Partners VI
- Member, Executive Committee Aurora Capital
- Managing Partner, Aurora Resurgence I & II
UBS Investment Bank, New York/San Francisco (2001 – 2011)
- Global Head of Restructuring
- Global Head of Leveraged Finance
- Americas Head of Financial Sponsors
- Member, Americas Executive Committee
- Member, Global Management Committee
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette/Credit Suisse, San Francisco (1992 – 2001)
Managing Director, Restructuring/Leveraged Finance
Latham & Watkins, Los Angeles (1986 – 1992)
Associate, Corporate Finance/Restructuring
US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Los Angeles (1985 – 1986)
Law Clerk for Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall
Private Company Board Experience
SIRVA, Chicago
Member, Board of Directors
LandCare, San Diego
Member, Board of Directors
TOPS, Chicago
Member, Board of Directors
Alltub, Amsterdam
Member, Board of Directors
PYREX, Paris
Member, Board of Directors
Cardiac Science, Waukesha
Member, Board of Directors
Education
UCLA School of Law/Anderson School of Management
- JD, Chief Editor, UCLA Law Review
- MBA, Finance concentration
UC San Diego
- Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude
- English and American Literature, minors in Economics and Philosophy
Memberships and Licenses
- Member: California Bar Association, National Association of Corporate Directors
- FINRA Series 7, 63 and 24 Qualifications
Experience
Smith Goffman Partners, New York (November 2023 – Present)
Co-Founder and Co-CEO
Teneo, Inc., New York (November 2022 – 2023)
Client Chairman, Financial Advisory
Rothschild and Co., New York (2020 – 2022)
Vice Chairman
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York (1996 – 2020)
Partner, Global Head of Corporate Restructuring
Executive Committee Member
O’Sullivan Graev & Karabell, New York (1991 – 1996)
Partner, Head of Corporate Restructuring Group
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, New York (1987 – 1991)
Senior Associate
Bear Stearns & Co., New York (1987 – 1987)
Distressed Debt Analyst
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, New York (1985 – 1987)
Associate
Burns Summit Rovins & Feldesman, New York (1983 – 1985)
Associate
Education
J.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1983
(with honors; Member, University of North Carolina Law Review)
B.S., The State University of New York at Binghamton, 1980
(Chemical Psychobiology with an emphasis in Neurochemistry; Honors’ Thesis: “The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome As Related to Fetal and Infant Brain Neurochemistry”)
Memberships and Licenses
- Member: American Bankruptcy Institute, American College of Bankruptcy, Turnaround Management Association, INSOL, International Insolvency Institute
- FINRA Series 79TO Qualification
Awards
- Turnaround Management Association Hall of Fame, 2023
- M&A Advisor’s Hall of Fame, 2021
- Lifetime Achievement Award from The M&A Advisor, 2020
- Law Dragons Hall of Fame, 2018
- University of North Carolina School of Law’s Distinguished Alumni Award, 2018
- 8th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards for Restructuring Leadership Achievement, 2016
- The American Lawyer, Transatlantic Finance Dealmaker: Restructuring Award, 2016
- The American Lawyer, Dealmakers of the Year (for the restructuring of Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer, the largest prepackaged bankruptcy ever completed in under 33 days), 2011
- Financial Times, U.S. Innovative Lawyers, 2011
- Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers, The National Law Journal, 2010
- Law 360’s MVPs (numerous occasions)
Lawrence (Larry) Benjamin has over 40 years of experience working as a CEO, board
member and advisor with troubled businesses in the food, retail, distribution and
healthcare industries.
As CEO, he has led several publicly and privately held businesses through difficult
situations including capital restructurings and recovery from financial and business
challenges. Proceeds from his successful sale of 4 of these businesses (U.S. Foods,
Specialty Foods, Stella Foods and the Birds Eye/Budget Gourmet division of Kraft Heinz)
have totaled more than $9 billion. As a board member of 11 companies, he has served on
multiple audit, governance and compensation committees and has been board chair of 3
of these firms (IRI/Circana, Carvel and Diversified Foodservice Supply). He has also been
an advisor/operating partner for 3 private equity firms, most recently as a Senior Advisor at
New Mountain Capital.
Larry has a BA from Brown University and master’s degrees from Columbia University
(MBA), Northwestern University (MA) and Loyola University Chicago School of Medicine
(MPH). He is active in several nonprofit organizations.
Mr. Edwards enjoyed a 35-year career as a partner at Latham & Watkins, a top global law firm, where he specialized in debt capital markets and debt restructurings. At Latham, Mr. Edwards was a leader in building the firm’s practices in the UK and Europe (2000 through 2008), the Middle East (2008 through 2012) and Asia (2012 to 2017). Among other matters, Mr. Edwards advised the Government of Dubai in connection with the $60 billion Dubai World sovereign debt restructuring.
In addition, Mr. Edwards has been an industry leader in developing the debt capital markets. He was Chair of the European High Yield Association (EHYA) from 2004 to 2008, building it into a full-fledged industry association; served on the Steering Committee of the Gulf Bond & Sukuk Association (GBSA) from 2008 to 2012; and was Vice-Chair of the Credit Markets Committee of the Asia Securities & Financial Markets Committee (ASIFMA) from 2012 to 2016.
In recent years, Mr. Edwards has worked on several SPAC reverse IPO mergers, including the merger that took Soundhound (SOUN) public on Nasdaq in 2022. In addition, he is a Director of Nuvvon, an early-stage battery technology company.
Nick is currently a Senior Advisor at Nolan Capital Inc. He is a retired Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP where he was Global Co-Head of Private Equity and served as a member of the firm’s Policy Committee. His areas of focus were M&A, Securities Law, Debt Financing, and Corporate Restructuring. Clients included Leonard Green & Partners, TPG, Colony Capital, Paul Allen & his investment company Vulcan, UBS, DLJ, and Moelis & Company. Nick was lead counsel for a principal party in the MGM, Charter Communications and Dreamworks deals, all of which were awarded Deal of the Year honors. Nick is also a former Senior Advisor at Moelis & Company.
Nick graduated with his B.A. and M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and received his J.D. from Loyola Law School. He currently is a member of the Emeritus Board of The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and is a former member of the Loyola Law School Board of Directors, the UCLA Economics Board of Visitors, and the Board of Directors of Paul Allen’s Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology. Nick also co-authored a leading treatise regarding corporate restructurings. Nick has been named among the top Private Equity, M&A, and Securities (for both Equities and Debt) attorneys by both Chambers USA and Chambers Global, and one of the top 100 lawyers in the State of California.
Our Founders
Smith Goffman Partners
Smith Goffman Partners