Smith Anderson Sponsors Biotech/Life Science 2011 Conference - Sponsorship Complements Partners’ Board Service and Life Sciences Practice

Raleigh, NC (February 18, 2011) - Smith Anderson is sponsoring the Exit Strategies Workshop at the CED Biotech/Life Science 2011 Conference on February 21 and 22 at the Convention Center in Raleigh. The conference is presented by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), the North Carolina Biosciences Organization (NCBIO), and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

The firm’s sponsorship complements the service of three Smith Anderson partners on the boards of the sponsoring organizations:

• Christopher Capel serves on the Board of Directors of NCBIO
• Merrill Mason serves on the CED Board
• Gerald Roach serves on the Biotech Center Board

The firm is also a sponsor of CED’s Innovation to Impact campaign, a five-year vision to position the Research Triangle and North Carolina as the nation’s leading center for entrepreneurial support and success.

“At Smith Anderson, we combine comprehensive legal expertise with deep life sciences industry knowledge to provide our life sciences clients with effective solutions to achieve their business objectives,” Capel said. “Our commitment to our clients extends to our support of the life sciences industry and related organizations.”

Smith Anderson’s life sciences practice spans a diverse spectrum of companies, from start-ups to publicly-traded entities, including large pharma, specialty pharma, biotech, medical device, agbio, biofuels, CROs and other biopharmaceutical services companies, and life sciences-focused venture capital firms and other investors. Lawyers in this practice group include Santo Costa, former President, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of Quintiles Transnational Corp., and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Glaxo, Inc.; Phil Tracy, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Burroughs Wellcome Co., a predecessor of GlaxoSmithKline; and Martin Lancaster, immediate past President of the North Carolina Community College System, who helped spearhead a workforce training infrastructure for the life sciences industry.

About Smith Anderson
Smith Anderson is the largest Research Triangle-based business and litigation law firm and one of the largest in North Carolina. Representing diverse organizations with local, state, national and international interests, our lawyers focus on building and strengthening relationships by understanding our clients' businesses and customizing our legal solutions accordingly. Our commitment to our clients also extends to our community and profession. For more information, go to www.smithlaw.com.

About CED
CED’s mission is to identify, enable and promote high growth, high impact companies and to accelerate the entrepreneurial culture of the Research Triangle and North Carolina. For more information, go to www.cednc.org.

About NCBIO
NCBIO advocates for state and federal public policies that encourage the growth of life science companies, support the development of a strong life science workforce, and promote research and technology transfer at universities and other institutions. NCBIO’s ultimate goal is to help North Carolina’s bioscience community fulfill its extraordinary promise as a source of economic opportunity and improved quality of life for citizens of North Carolina and people around the world. For more information, go to www.ncbioscience.net.

About The North Carolina Biotechnology Center
The Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business and education statewide. For more information, go to www.ncbiotech.org.