Rebecca Smart is a venture capital, M&A and private equity attorney who advises clients on complex corporate and transactional matters, including middle-market deals and general corporate counseling. She partners with founders, closely held businesses and family offices throughout the full business lifecycle, from formation and early-stage financing through growth equity, add-on acquisitions and strategic exits. Known for her pragmatic, business-first approach, Becca is a responsive, solutions-oriented counselor who translates legal complexity into practical guidance that manages risk and advances her clients’ strategic objectives.
Becca’s experience spans a range of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, business services, technology and software, food and beverage, and real estate-adjacent operating companies. She regularly counsels portfolio companies on day-to-day and large-scale commercial agreements, corporate governance, equity incentive structures, and intercompany arrangements. In transactions, clients rely on Becca to drive execution across due diligence, deal structuring, acquisition agreements and ancillary documents, with a steady focus on value, timing and certainty of close. Calm under pressure and collaborative with counterparties, she keeps deals moving and communicates clearly with management teams, investors and other advisors.
In addition to her deal work, Becca serves as outside general counsel to venture-backed and founder-led companies. In that role, she advises on commercial contracting (sales, procurement, SaaS and licensing, enterprise MSAs and strategic partnerships), corporate governance and board matters, equity and employment issues, and day-to-day problem solving with internal stakeholders and other third-party advisors.
Prior to joining Gould & Ratner, Becca worked as a transaction tax consultant for a large public accounting firm. She leverages that experience to bring a practical and focused perspective to structuring, diligence and negotiation for deals, and uses her value‑creation mindset to helps clients see the broader picture. Whether guiding founders through their first venture financings, negotiating complex private equity add‑ons or coordinating cross‑functional teams on sell‑side processes, she focuses on what matters most to clients: practical terms, efficient execution and no‑surprises outcomes.
