Introduction
Judge Smith retired from the Orange County Superior Court after twenty years of distinguished service. His judicial experience included
serving as a Supervising Judge of the family law panel for 3 years, Presiding Judge of the court's appellate division, and a special master for the
Commission on Judicial Performance. Judge Smith, known for his scholarly approach to judicial decision-making, is the author of more than a dozen published
legal articles and has been honored by several bar associations. Judge Smith has presided over a broad range of civil cases, including personal injury,
professional negligence, employment discrimination, real property and business disputes.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Smith was successful in the practice of real estate, environmental, and business
transactional law. He is a frequent lecturer and panelist in the areas of family law, civil procedure, and legal ethics. He brings his
commitment to excellence and service to his role as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge. He commented, "I am painfully aware of
the high cost, both financial and emotional, of protracted litigation. I am energized by the opportunity to help litigants reach an
earlier and less costly resolution."
Specialties
- Family Law
- Personal Injury
- Professional Malpractice
- Employment
- Environmental
- Real Property
- Business/Contractual
Experience Summary
Notable case types Judge Smith oversaw as a superior court judge as well as cases handled in private practice
Read More
Hobbies & Interests
In his spare time, Judge Smith is a baseball fan, Harvey Davidson enthusiast, and a traveler.
Experience Summary
FAMILY LAW
Judge Smith's judicial tenure included nine years on the family law panel, including three as supervising judge. He has presided over hundreds of family law trials, request for orders hearings, settlement conferences, and related hearings.
COMMERCIAL AND REAL PROPERTY
As the assistant general counsel and officer of an NYSE corporation, Judge Smith was directly responsible for the planning and documentation of hundreds of significant corporate and real estate transactions. As a judge, he conducted numerous jury and bench trials resulting from commercial transactions. His deep experience with both the business and legal aspects of commercial transactions give him a superb background for the mediation or arbitration of related disputes.
PERSONAL INJURY AND PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
Judge Smith has presided over numerous jury trials resulting from accidents causing personal injuries and alleged medical negligence. Several of these trials were the result of catastrophic injuries or death. His experience includes both cases resulting in multi-million dollar verdicts, as well as defense verdicts. His background in this case type is one of absolute neutrality.
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Judge Smith has years of experience in the area of environmental law. This includes overseeing environmental assessments prior to the sale or purchase of large real estate portfolios and the implementation of remediation plans. He has also directly handled both the prosecution and defense of many cost recovery actions involving both private PRP's and government agencies.
