Services & Industries
Education
J.D., magna cum laude, Lewis & Clark Law School, 2005
M.B.A., Finance, Colorado State University, 1998
B.S., Engineering Mechanics, United States Air Force Academy, 1991
Bar & Court Admissions
Oregon State Bar
State Bar of California
Josh joined Tonkon Torp in 2018 as a partner and a member of the firm’s Entrepreneurial Services, Intellectual Property, Corporate Finance & Transactions, and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups. His practice is focused on representing and counseling emerging and established companies on a wide variety of intellectual property, corporate, and transactional matters. He counsels clients on venture capital and angel financings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures, technology licensing, commercial agreements, and general business matters – primarily in the technology industry.
Prior to joining Tonkon Torp, Josh was the managing partner of Alto Law Group, a boutique law firm focused on technology and emerging growth companies. He is actively engaged in Oregon’s startup and technology communities, including as a member of the Technology Association of Oregon Board of Directors and Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. He has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School since 2008 and currently teaches a course called “Entrepreneurship and the Law.”
Josh is an avid fan of the Oregon Ducks and the Portland Trail Blazers. In his spare time, Josh enjoys travelling and spending time with his wife and children.
Get to Know
As a teenager in the mid-1980s, attorney Josh Smith fell under the spell of the 1986 action blockbuster Top Gun, set in the world of combat aviation. With that as his motivation, Josh obtained an appointment to the Air Force Academy after high school and went on to attend pilot training in Arizona, learning to fly in the T-37 and T-38. When it came time for plane assignments, however, the Air Force didn’t need fighter pilots so Josh spent his time in the Air Force flying large cargo planes, including the C-141 and C-17. During his deployments, Josh traveled to over 50 countries on all seven continents, and he specialized in tactical airlift missions that included low-level flying, airdrops of troops and equipment, and mid-air refueling. Because of his focus on combat missions, Josh and his crew were selected to participate in several sessions of Exercise Red Flag, a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held by the Air Force in Las Vegas several times a year.
When Josh’s commitment to the Air Force ended, he wasn’t quite ready to give up his wings and went on to work for United Airlines for a year and half, flying as a flight engineer on the 727 and as First Officer on the 737. After the tragedy of 9/11 drastically contracted the airline industry, Josh enrolled in Lewis & Clark Law School. As he pursued his law degree and began building his thriving entrepreneurial services practice, Josh remained as a pilot in the Air Force Reserves and retired after a total of 20 years of service.
Josh has found that the rigorous training, discipline, and adherence to regulations required of pilots served him well, first in law school and now in his legal career. In his free time, he continues to pursue his passion for flight, renting small planes to take friends and family flying and introducing the world of aviation to his kids.
Representative Matters
Financing for SaaS Company Focused on Clean Energy for Supply Chains
Assisted SaaS client with the offer, issuance, and sale of Series Seed Financing.
Community Involvement & Activities
Technology Association of Oregon
Board of Directors
Lewis & Clark Law School Center for Business Law & Innovation
Board of Directors
Professional Memberships
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
Technology Association of Oregon
The Best Lawyers in America
2025, Corporate Law
Recent News
46 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Included in 2025 Best Lawyers in America®
Forty-six Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 36 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025. Forty-five of the attorneys have been previously named to the peer-review list, and most have been listed for more than 10 years.
Josh Smith Joins Board of Directors for TAO
Tonkon Torp partner Josh Smith has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Technology Association of Oregon.
Josh Smith Talks Technology Licensing and Transfers for OBI
Tonkon Torp partner Josh Smith was a featured speaker at a recent educational program hosted by Oregon Bioscience Incubator (OBI). The program focused on technology licensing and transfers from educational and other institutions.
Josh Smith Joins M&A Discussion Hosted by Technology Association of Oregon
On December 2, Tonkon Torp Partner Josh Smith was a featured panelist for the virtual event, M&A Trends and Best Practices – Navigating the New Normal, hosted by the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO).
Josh Smith Joins Lewis & Clark Center for Business Law & Innovation
Tonkon Torp partner Josh Smith has joined the Lewis & Clark Center for Business Law & Innovation Board.
Publications & Presentations
Moderator, “Licensing and Technology Transfer,” Oregon Bioscience Incubator, March 2021
Panelist, “M&A Trends and Best Practices – Navigating the New Normal,” Technology Association of Oregon, December 2020