CHICAGO, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Katten announced today that Corporate Department Global Chair Kimberly T. Smith was named to the Mergers & Acquisitions‘ 2026 list of Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A.
The recognition honors 13 outstanding female dealmakers shaping the middle-market mergers and acquisitions (M&A) industry and inspiring the next generation of leaders. It is the sixth consecutive time Smith has been named to the list.
“This distinction spotlights Kim’s exceptional leadership and market-leading work and underscores the strength of our Corporate group, a key driver of our long-term growth,” said Katten Chair Gil M. Soffer. “Her sharp insight drives M&A dealmaking and steers clients through their most strategic transactions, reinforcing Katten’s stellar reputation in handling complex deals.”
Smith has spent nearly her entire career at Katten, where she advanced from associate to partner to co-head of the nationwide Private Equity/M&A practice, leading one of the busiest middle-market practices in the country, and ultimately to global chair of the Corporate department.
In her role, Smith leads more than 140 attorneys across the United States, UK and China in the Corporate group, assigned to high-impact transactional practice areas, including Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Capital Markets, Health Care, and Government and Public Finance.
Her practice evolved from handling initial public offerings (IPOs) when she first started at Katten to advising notable companies on complex and strategic M&A and private equity transactions across various sectors. Smith represents private equity funds, family offices, independent sponsors and strategic acquirers across multiple industries in various transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and reorganizations, and joint ventures.
Smith serves on Katten’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She is also focused on recruiting experienced attorneys and mentoring junior attorneys to ensure a high-performing team at Katten.
A member of the corporate board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Smith has been recognized this past year by Crain’s Chicago Business as among its Notable M&A Dealmakers and by the Chicago Business Journal as among its Women of Influence. Other career accolades include being named a Mergers & Acquisitions and Antitrust Trailblazer by the National Law Journal. She is ranked in the Chambers USA guide and selected to The Legal 500 United States Leading Partners list.
Katten is a full-service law firm with nearly 650 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai. Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm’s core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals.
For more information, visit katten.com.
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Contact: |
Jackie Heard |
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Leonor Vivanco-Prengaman |
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