Joel D. Smith

Joel D. Smith Managing Partner, Founder Boston [email protected] (415) 202-6109 Joel is a trial and appellate lawyer. Every day, he takes on some of the biggest corporations in the United States for privacy violations, selling dangerous products, and fraud. A no-nonsense, hardworking, and well-organized litigator, Joel has been appointed lead or co-lead counsel in numerous class actions across the country, including in cases against Facebook, major automotive manufacturers, and public entities. He is skilled at managing complex, multi-party litigation and works well with co-counsel and opposing counsel alike. For example, Joel represented four major U. S. retailers in a highly publicized case arising from an arson fire and ensuing state of emergency in Roseville, California, which settled on the eve of a trial that was expected to last several months and involve more than forty witnesses. He managed the litigation in In re Welspun, a case against five corporate giants arising from what one journalist described as the biggest counterfeit story in retail history. He has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for class members in class settlements. Joel co-founded Smith Krivoshey after nearly twenty years of experience on both sides of the aisle at Folger Levin & Kahn, Crowell & Moring, and Bursor & Fisher. He has both represented, and litigated against, some of the largest Fortune 500 companies, public entities, and privately held companies in the United States. Joel is a second-career attorney who grew up in San Franciscos Mission District and attended public schools. After attending music school, working as a concert audio engineer, and earning his undergraduate degree from U. C. Berkeley, he enrolled at U. C. Berkeleys School of Law five weeks after the birth of his second child. While in law school, he was a member of the California Law Review, received several academic honors, externed for the California Attorney Generals office, and published an article on climate change policy and litigation. Joel has been married for close to thirty years, has two adult children, a German shepherd, and an English mastiff. When hes not battling corporate evil, he enjoys working on habitat preservation projects, travelling to far-flung places, and supporting local microbreweries. Joel is admitted in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and numerous district and circuit courts across the country. He is a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, where he volunteers in the FBAs Lift Up Leaders Mentorship Program and serves on the Professional Development Committee. He also is a member of the American Association for Justice and the Public Justice Foundation. Education University of California at Berkeley School of Law, J. D. University of California at Berkeley, B. A. Bar Admissions California Massachusetts New Jersey Second Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals Northern District of California Central District of California Eastern District of California Southern District of California Northern District of Illinois Eastern District of Michigan Eastern District of Wisconsin [email protected](415) 839-7000