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Mr. Smith represents clients in a variety of litigation matters including commercial and personal injury disputes. Primary focus is complex insurance litigation including coverage disputes, insurance “bad faith” litigation and first party property claims as well as the defense of insureds in a variety of business and personal injury disputes.

His practice also includes professional liability cases, including the defense of attorneys, insurance agents/brokers and other professionals. Although primarily on the defense side, practice includes representation of plaintiffs in complex commercial and insurance litigation.

Practice Areas

  Insurance

  Professional Liability

  Personal Injury Defense

  Construction & Surety

  Business Litigation

  • State Bar of Texas, 1987
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • Southern Methodist University, J.D., 1987
  • University of Texas Austin, Bachelor of Journalism, 1984

Has represented clients in a variety of litigation matters, including commercial and personal injury disputes.

  • “Texas Super Lawyers” (Texas Monthly magazine, 2004-2010, 2012)
  • “Texas Top-Rated Lawyers” (Dallas Morning News & The Wallstreet Journal, 2013)
  • AV ® PREEMINENT Martindale-Hubbell rating
  • In re Crawford & Co., 458 S.W. 3d 920 (Tex. 2015)
  • United National Ins. Co. v. Mundell Terminal Services, Inc., 740 F.3d 1022 (5th Cir. 2014)
  • Dyess v. Harris — S.W.3d —-, 2009 WL 3462053 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2009, review denied)
  • Universal Underwriters Ins. Co. v. New Braunfels Trans, Inc., 2006 WL 2707003 (Tex. App.-Austin, September 20, 2006)
  • Bergenholtz v. Cannata, 200 S.W.3d 287 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2006)
  • El Dorado Motors, Inc. v. Koch, 168 S.W.3d 360 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2005)
  • Prieto v. John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, et al., 132 F. Supp. 3D 506. Aff’d 35 Fed Appor. 390 (5th Cr. 2002).
  • “Spoliation of Evidence” – Texas Independent Insurance Adjusters’ Association, Annual Meeting (November, 1999).
  • “Inverse Condemnation Based on ‘Bad Faith’ Delay”, Defending Governmental Entities symposium (December, 1995).
Meet the Team