Jeffrey M. Smith

• Represented leading entertainers and entertainment companies, including casinos, themed restaurants and hotels, computer game companies, record companies, and publishing companies in various securities, trademark-licensing and other financial transactions, including joint ventures, in which clients have included: Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffett, Future, Alan Jackson, Michael Jackson Estate, Magic Johnson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Isaac Hayes Estate, Def Leppard, Margaritaville Enterprises, Bob Marley Estate, Bret Michaels, Matt and Dean Serletic, Raine Group, George Strait, Justin Timberlake and Virgin Gaming.
• Represented sports-related individuals and entities, including Magic Johnson, Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno, ESPN Fantasy Sports Founder Matthew Berry, the National Basketball Association and various entertainers connected with sports, such as naming rights to the Miami Dolphins Stadium for Jimmy Buffett's LandShark Lager.
• Participated in traditional and nontraditional movie transactions, including:
  • Negotiation of documents for the "Drumline";
  • Negotiation of the documents for the "Being Bobby Brown" reality television show; and
  • Renting Seaside, Florida to Paramount Pictures for the movie entitled "The Truman Show."
• Represented broker-dealers, including Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., FirsTrust (China) and Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.; corporations in securities matters, including General Steel Holdings, Inc. (China),  SGOCO Limited (China); and Tri-Tech Holdings, Inc. (China), insurers in securities matters, including Swiss Re and the Travelers; insurers, including Travelers, as well as banks and other companies involving directors and officers liability; law firms and accounting firms, including Deloitte & Touche LLP, in securities, quality control and ethics matters.
• Mediated and arbitrated in the areas of securities, legal malpractice and accounting malpractice.
• Provided expert witness services in securities and legal malpractice matters for plaintiffs and defendants, including for the FDIC and formerly for the RTC.

Jeffrey Smith has lectured on the subjects of entertainment and securities as well as legal and accounting malpractice at 18 universities, including full semester courses at Duke, Emory and Vanderbilt. He has also lectured on the subjects of securities, legal and accounting malpractice at more than 200 major seminars, in 37 American states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and in 10 countries, including seminars for the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Association of Securities Dealers, and the American Arbitration Association.

• Central University of Finance and Economics : Honorary Professor and Guest Lecturer, "Securities Law and Legal Opinions," Beijing, China, 2008-Present
• Harvard Asia Center and Harvard East Asian Legal Studies: Guest Lecturer, The Evolution of East Asian Intellectual Property Law Through the Lens of Chinese Trademark Law, Boston, Massachusetts, 2014
• Southwestern University of Finance and Economics: Guest Lecturer, United States Income Tax History and Teaching English Strategically, Public Finance Department, Chengdu, China, 2013
• Suzhou Institute: Guest Lecturer, "Securities Regulation," Suzhou, China, 2009
• Suzhou University, School of Business: Guest Lecturer, "Securities Law," Beijing, China, 2009
• Shanghai University School of Business: Guest Lecturer, "Securities Law and Legal Opinions," Shanghai, China, 2008
• University of Georgia, Terry School of Business: Guest Lecturer, "Implementing New Business Plans," Athens, GA, 2002-2007
• Emory University School of Business: Guest Lecturer, "Personal Finance and Investing," Atlanta, GA, 2004
• Institute of Buddhist Dialectics: Pro Bono English Instructor, Dharamsala, IN, 2003
• Duke University, Fuqua School of Business: Faculty Leader, "Post Graduate Education: Managing the Corporate Legal Department," Durham, NC, 1992 and 1993
• Duke University School of Law: Lecturer in Law, "Legal Profession," 1976-1977 and 1990; Guest Lecturer, "Legal Ethics," Durham, NC, 1979-1980, 1986-1987, and 1992
• Vanderbilt University School of Law: Lecturer in Law, "Litigation Under the Federal Securities Laws," 1977-1978 and "Profession of Law," 1977-1981; Guest Lecturer, Nashville, TN, 1981-1982 and 1988-1989
• Emory University School of Law: Adjunct Professor, "Professional Liability of Attorneys and Accountants," 1976-1977; Guest Lecturer, 1978-1979; Adjunct Professor, Emory University School of Law, "Law Office Management," 1981-1982; Instructor, Emory University School of Law, "Emory Summer Program for Lawyers: Law Office Management," Atlanta, GA, June 15-19, 1981

• Listed, GaBiz magazine, “Top Lawyers,” 2025
• Recipient, "Lifetime Achievement Award," Justice Robert Benham Awards for Community Service, 2024
• Listed, Who's Who in the World, 1992-Present
• Listed, Who's Who in America, 1983-Present
• Listed, Who's Who in American Law, 1978-Present
• Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Georgia Super Lawyers, 2004, 2006, 2009-2019, 2024
• Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants; Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; Corporate Law; Tax Law, 1995-2025
  • "Lawyer of the Year," Legal Malpractice Law-Plaintiffs, Atlanta, 2018, 2020, and 2025
• Team Member, a Law360 “Media & Entertainment Practice Group of the Year,” 2022
• Listed, Georgia Trend magazine, "Legal Elite," 2016
• Recipient, "Service Award," National Association of Chinese Americans, 2012
• Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers^® "Law Firm of the Year" in Entertainment Law - Music, 2011-2012
• Recipient, "ALI-ABA Special Award of Merit" for writing and lecturing in the areas of ethics and malpractice, 1984
• Recipient, "Service Award," American Heart Association, Georgia Affiliate, 1982
• Recipient, "Vital Service Award," Atlanta Association for Retarded Citizens, 1979
• Recipient, "Service Award," University of Minnesota Law School Council, 1973
• Recipient, "Corpus Juris Award" for the Best Contribution to Legal Research, West Publishing Company, University of Minnesota Law School, 1972-1973
• Listed, The American Lawyer, Top Legal Malpractice and Ethics Lawyers
• Rated, AV Preeminent^® 5.0 out of 5

°AV^®, AV Preeminent^®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished^SM and Martindale-Hubbell Notable^SM are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell^® certification procedures, standards and policies.

• Sole Financial Sponsor, Harvard Thai Studies Lecture Series, named in honor of former Harvard Professor, Stanley J. Tambiah, 2013
• Pro Bono General Counsel
  • National Association of Chinese Americans, 2010-Present
  • Atlanta Community Food Bank, 1989-2009 
  • Georgia March of Dimes, 1994-1997
  • Ronald McDonald House (Children's Oncology Services of Georgia, Inc.), 1990-1995
  • Georgia Heart Association, 1978-1989
  • Atlanta Association for Retarded Citizens, 1979-1982
• Appointed, State Bar of Georgia Continuing Lawyer Competency Commission, 2009-Present
• Pro Bono Arbitrator, State Bar of Georgia, 1990-Present
• Member, Consultative Group, American Law Institute, Restatement of the Law-The Law Governing Lawyers, 1986-Present
• Appointed Chairperson, Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Professionalism, Ethics and Malpractice Seminar, 1984-Present
• Board of Directors, UNICEF (USA), 2007-2009
• Board of Directors, Atlanta Community Food Bank, 2007-2009
• Co-Chairperson, Atlanta Policeman's Ball, 2008
• Pro Bono English Instructor, Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala, India, 2003-2004
• Member, ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer Competence, 1993-1995
• Chairperson, 1985-1987, Member, 1981-1985, ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability
• Chairperson, 1983-1984, Vice-Chairperson, 1979-1983, ABA Torts and Insurance Practice Section
• Vice-Chairperson, General Practice Section Professional Liability Committee, 1980-1982