Alexander Smart

Alexander Smart is an associate attorney at Kaufman, Nichols & Kaufman, PLLC, where he focuses his practice on advising startups and early-stage businesses. He brings a rare combination of deep legal experience and hands-on operational leadership, having spent years building, scaling, and advising technology companies as both a lawyer and a founder.

Before joining Kaufman, Nichols & Kaufman, Alexander practiced as a civil and criminal litigator for more than fifteen years. He later transitioned into entrepreneurship, co-founding and serving as CEO of Mutual Knowledge Systems, Inc. (MuKn), a globally distributed technology company and startup studio. In that role, he led teams working with leading blockchain and technology organizations, including Ripple, Cardano, and Filecoin, and oversaw the launch of multiple venture-backed products in the Web3 and AI spaces.

Alexander has extensive experience with startup formation, governance, financing, commercial contracts, and cross-border operations. He regularly advises founders on entity structure, equity and founder arrangements, strategic partnerships, and complex contract negotiations, with a practical focus on helping companies move fast while managing legal risk. His background operating fully remote, international teams gives him particular insight into the legal and operational realities facing modern startups.

Alexander is licensed to practice law in California, New York, Massachusetts, and Utah, and he regularly works with founders and companies operating across jurisdictions. He approaches legal counsel as a strategic partnership—helping entrepreneurs bring order to complexity and build durable businesses designed for growth.