Larry Smith is a founding partner of Southern Trial Counsel | PLC. Larry received his B.S. With Great Honor from the University of North Alabama in 1979, majoring in Criminal Justice and receiving the Presidential Award for highest grade point average in the department. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society. After working in the National Park Service and then as a federal law enforcement officer, he entered the University of Alabama School of Law, graduating in May, 1984. In addition to distinguishing himself academically, Mr. Smith was a member of the National Trial Advocacy Team and interned with United States District Judge Robert Propst of the Northern District of Alabama.

For more than 25 years, Larry’s practice has focused on the defense of complex, high exposure cases for clients such as automotive and drug manufacturers, primary/excess insurance companies and the commercial litigation needs of banks and businesses.

Larry is a member of The Florida Bar Code & Rules of Evidence Committee. Since 1999, he has served on the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism where he served successive terms as Chair of its Diversity Subcommittee. He is a Charter member of The Florida Bar's Equal Opportunities Section and Chair, 2010-2011.

Larry has served as a lecturer at state and national seminars, including those sponsored by the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and the Society of Automotive Engineers about product liability, civil litigation, and professionalism related issues. He has achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating of “AV”, has been included in its Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1999, and selected for inclusion in the publication of Florida Super Lawyers since 2008.

 

Representative Clients:
Available upon request

Honors and Awards:
Florida Super Lawyer, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, Selected for inclusion in publication

Orlando’s Best Lawyers- 2010, 2011
Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine

Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, 2010, 2011

Achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating of AV - Preeminent

Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers

Watermark's Central Florida Co-Person of the Year, 2002

Publications:
Larry D. Smith, Robert V. Goldsmith, III, Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Service During Disaster as a Form of Professionalism, American Bar Association Section of Litigation Ethics and Professionalism Committee, June 2011, http://americanbar.org/litigation/committees/ethics/articles.html.

Larry D. Smith, Numbers Tell a Story: Recent Litigation in LGBT Issues, American Bar Association Section of Litigation LGBT Litigator Committee, January 2011, http://americanbar.org/litigation/committees/lgbt/about.html.

Larry D. Smith, Batson Challenge Does Not Extend to Unidentified Minorities, American Bar Association Section of Litigation Ethics and Professionalism Committee, February 2010, http://americanbar.org/litigation/committees/ethics/casenotes.html.

Larry D. Smith, Reflections on the 30th Anniversary of In re Eimers, American Bar Association Section of Litigation Ethics and Professionalism Committee, February 2010, http://americanbar.org/litigation/committees/ethics/articles.html.

Classes/Seminars Taught:
National Diversity Forum: Building Strength Through Diversity, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, New York City, 2011

Trial Management in 2011: Using Technology to Increase Effectiveness, Council on Litigation Management, New Orleans, 2011

Team Building and Leadership Skills, Central Florida Paralegal Association, Orlando, December, 2010

Building Bridges Between the Bench, Bar and the Community, The Florida Bar Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference, July, 2010

Outlook for the Invisible Minority, Litigation Council of America Diversity Summit, Atlanta, 2009

Litigating High Profile Cases During Governmental Agency Investigation: A Multi-Prong Approach, Litigation Council of America, Charleston, 2009

Case Law Update, CEU Institute for National Insurance & Healthcare Continuing Education, 2009

Diversity: Creating The Winning Edge, The Florida Bar Annual Convention, 2008

Does Biomechanics Pass the Daubert (and Frye) Requirements?, American Bar Association Emerging Issues in Motor Vehicle Product Liability Litigation Conference, 2008

Professionalism and Diversity: The Outlook for the Invisible Minority, Litigation Counsel of America, Fall Conference, 2007

Professionalism, The Florida Bar, Solo and Small Firm Section, 2007

Strategic Use Of Summary Judgment: Cutting The Catastrophic Case Down To Size, Litigation Counsel of America, Spring Conference, 2007

Pathways to Diversity Conference, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, 2006

Professionalism, The Florida Bar, Solo & Small Firm Convention, 2006

Voluntary Bar Leadership Conference, The Florida Bar, 2006

Second Annual Diversity Symposium, The Florida Bar, 2005

The Cutting Edge: Case Law Update, Defense Research Institute, 2003

Proof of Defect Without Testimony: Can a Plaintiff Survive Summary Judgment?, American Bar Association, 2002

How Similar Is Substantially Similar? A Defense Perspective, American Bar Association, 2002

Masters in Professionalism Series: Diversity, The Florida Bar, 2001

Successful Lawyering in a Diverse Society: Diversity: It's Good Business, Florida Bar, Annual Meeting, 2000

The Hot Seat: Seat Back Claims Issues and Trends, American Bar Association Emerging Issue in Automotive Product Litigation Conference, 2000

Product Liability Concepts, SAE Conference, 1999

Pro Bono Activities:
Wills for Victims of Aids, 1999 - Present
Guardian ad Item for Abused and Neglected Children

Professional Associations and Memberships:
Member, Diversity Law Institute (Advisory Board 2012-2013)

International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
Member; Diversity Committee; Co-Vice Chair, Diverse Member Involvement

American Bar Association
Member

American Bar Association; Chair Diversity Subcommittee,
Section of Litigation, Ethics and Professionalism Committee

The American Bar Foundation
Fellow

Litigation Counsel of America (Trial Lawyer Honorary Society)
Fellow

The Florida Bar, Code & Rules of Evidence Committee
Member

The Florida Supreme Court Commission On Professionalism
Member, 1999 - present; Chair, Diversity Subcommittee, 2003 - 2006

The Florida Bar, Equal Opportunities in the Profession Committee, 1998 - 2000
Member

The Florida Bar, Equal Opportunities Law Section, 2000-Present
Chair 2010, Charter Member, Board of Directors At Large 2008

Defense Research Institute
Member, Diversity Committee

Florida Defense Lawyers Association
Member, Diversity Committee

The George C. Young First Central Florida American Inns of Court
Master Level

Orange County Bar Association
Member, Diversity Committee, Professionalism Committee

Leadership Orlando
Alumnus

The Florida Bar Annual Symposium on Diversity
Planning Committee Member, Second, Third, and Fourth Years

The Florida Bar Fourth Annual Symposium on Diversity
Co-Chair

The Florida Bar Fifth Annual Symposium on Diversity
Panelist

Central Florida Gay And Lesbian Law Association - A Voluntary Association of The Florida Bar
Board of Directors; President 2009

Faculty and Steering Committee, The Florida Bar Solo & Small Firm Convention, 2006 - 2007
Member

The Council on Litigation Management
Vice-Chair, Florida, 2009-2010; Co-Chair, National Diversity Forum, 2011; Product Liability Committee (International Product Liability Issues and Consumer Goods Subcommittees)

Steering Committee, The Florida Bar Equal Opportunities Law Section, 30th Anniversary "In Re Eimers" Symposium, 2008
Member