Terrence B. Smith, Esq. founded VSLG after practicing as a corporate lawyer at the prestigious firm Cooley Godward Kronish, LLP, a 600 lawyer Am-Law 100 firm, where he worked on diverse private and public company matters including numerous angel and venture capital transactions. Experiencing first-hand the cost to value delta encountered by entrepreneurs and emerging companies seeking sophisticated legal counsel, Mr. Smith sought to focus on providing cost-efficient, value-based, scalable, and client-centric legal solutions.

Mr. Smith’s education is also highly-specialized towards business law, start-up company law, corporate securities law, and venture law. After earning B.B.A. and J.D. degrees, he received his LL.M. (Master of Laws), with distinction, in Securities & Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center, where he received an award for his performance in Business Planning. He also served as a law clerk to the Securities & Exchange Commission’s Office of Market Regulation, and is intimately familiar with both federal and state securities laws, capital raising requirements and strategies.  He has previously held NASD Series 7 & 66 licenses.



Mr. Smith is an active member of Keiretsu Forum, the largest private association of accredited angel investors, and routinely participates in due diligence efforts and funding recommendations.

Mr. Smith has been directly involved with starting businesses himself, and understands the ineffectiveness of technical lawyering without considering his clients’ specific business goals. Thus, his counsel emphasizes deal making, not deal breaking or an inflexible approach to obstacles. Mr. Smith personally counsels clients regarding sophisticated start-up and emerging company planning, angel and venture capital financings, and other exempt offerings, mergers and acquisitions, asset and stock purchases, corporate finance and lending transactions, interpretation, preparation and negotiation of business contracts, and other general corporate transactions, and certain corporate, securities, and business related disputes.



When not engaged in business transactions, Mr. Smith passionately enjoys exotic cars, including track racing, in addition to Bay Area outdoor activities. He is also conversant in German.