Michael
S. Smith
 Mickey
Smith has practiced law in Florida for over 20 years. He
was born in Williamson, West Virginia, in 1960. He graduated
high school in 1978 with a 4.0 average and received a Marshall
Hahn Merit Scholarship to attend Virginia Tech. He majored
in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Virginia
Tech and was elected to numerous international honorary societies
including Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Pi Mu. He
received his degree, magna cum laude, in 1982. His hard work
in college was rewarded with a merit scholarship to the Duke
University School of Law. While in law school, he was elected
to the prestigious Order of the Coif, based on his outstanding
academic achievements. He received his degree in 1985 with
high honors, having graduated in the top 6% of his class.
After graduation, Mickey began practicing in Tampa with one
of Florida’s
oldest and largest law firms, Carlton Fields. Mickey defended the interests of
insurance companies and large corporations. In 1991, Mickey moved to West Palm
Beach and joined Kubicki Draper, one of Florida’s most prestigious insurance
defense law firms, with nine offices throughout the state. Mickey continued to
concentrate his practice on the defense of claims involving serious personal
injury, wrongful death, and insurance bad faith. After trying over 100 cases
for insurance companies, he became increasingly frustrated because his talents
were merely being used to minimize or defeat victims’ claims. Mickey left
Kubicki Draper in April, 2002, as a senior shareholder. He wanted to use his
talents to help people who had valid claims.
On May 1, 2002, Mickey joined Slawson Cunningham Whalen & Smith, P.L., as
a shareholder. He refused to represent insurance companies and strictly limited
his practice to representing victims with significant claims. His dream of practicing
law with his best friends, Gary Lesser and Joe Landy, was fulfilled in August
2004, when Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith was formed. Mickey’s practice
continues to be limited to representing individuals and families who have suffered
serious personal injury, wrongful death, or have been victimized because of the
bad faith practices of an insurance company.
Without question, Mickey’s vast experience in litigating and trying some
of the insurance industry’s worst cases is a major asset in representing
victims with significant claims. Since focusing his efforts on the interests
of the injured in 2002, Mickey has maintained an active trial practice and has
achieved verdicts and settlements for his clients that total in the tens of millions
of dollars. His peers have named him one of The Best Lawyers in America.
Board Certification:
• Board Certified as a specialist in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar
• Board Certified Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy
Honors:
• The Best Lawyers in America (This publication "is
widely regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the
United States.").
• The Lawdragon 500 (A listing of the 500 best plantiffs' lawyers in the country. The list was compiled by "asking the nation's best lawyers and their clients whom they'd trust with their own legal matters.").
• The
Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Described
as “the most prestigious group of trial lawyers
in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys
who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts
and settlements.”).
• “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell (This
independent rating, determined by other lawyers and Judges, is the highest
possible for both legal ability and general ethical standards).
• Florida's
Top Lawyers and Florida Super Lawyers (Independent
listings of Florida's best lawyers).
E-mail: msmith@lesserlawfirm.com
|
