Smith Anderson Strengthens its National Technology Transactions Practice with the Addition of Darrell Fruth

Smith Anderson has announced that Darrell Fruth, an experienced technology industry professional, has joined the firm’s national Technology Transactions practice as Counsel. The Technology Transactions practice is comprised of a team of experienced business lawyers with specialized backgrounds in multiple areas of technology law, with particular strength in pharmaceutical, biotech, and AgTech transactions. The team’s breadth of experience in advising on mission-critical technology collaborations and complex license deals extends both nationally and internationally, having regularly worked across the negotiating table from the world’s “Big Four” AgTech companies.  

Team members possess degrees in biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental science, mathematics and physics, and have extensive experience in North Carolina’s world-renowned Research Triangle Park region. The RTP is an internationally-recognized hub of agricultural technology innovation, where Smith Anderson’s Technology Transactions team has advised on the first AgTech IPO and several of the largest AgTech M&A transactions in the state. In 2017 alone, the team has advised clients on life sciences/AgTech, intellectual property and technology transactions with a total value of nearly $3 billion.

Darrell adds nearly 20 years of experience in technology, licensing and environmental/clean tech to the Technology Transactions practice. His technology transactional experience spans from preparing and negotiating a wide range of IP-related agreements for technology companies, including license agreements, software contracts, and joint development and supply agreements, to counseling and compliance experience on a wide range of technical and environmental issues, including patent and trademark strategy, infringement and freedom to operate advice, privacy, comparative advertising, consumer testing, and environmental regulations.

“We are pleased to welcome Darrell to the firm and are thrilled with the background he brings to Smith Anderson, not only in the technology space, but also environmental,” said Managing Partner Gerald Roach. “His environmental engineering degrees have provided him with unique knowledge of the environmental and clean technology industries that will further enhance the value we provide to our Technology Transactions clients.”

Smith Anderson represents many industry-leading companies in technology-centric business transactions and litigation. The Technology group serves clients of all sizes and at all stages of development, from emerging start-ups and university spinouts to publicly traded companies, technology-focused private equity firms, and venture capital firms. The team works with clients from a variety of sectors including life sciences, health care, software, information and materials technologies, video games, Internet, social media, big data, clean energy, and many more.