Joel D. Smith
Managing Partner, Founder
Boston

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.  

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Joel is a second-career attorney who grew up in San Francisco's 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. Berkeley’s 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 General’s 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 he's 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 FBA's 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.

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