Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continues growing its Litigation Practice with the addition of Ryan W. Smith as a shareholder in the Orange County office. At his previous firm, Allen Matkins, Smith handled the largest ongoing probate case in Los Angeles County, involving an approximately $3.5 billion celebrity estate.
Smith is an experienced litigator with a wide array of experience, representing companies in Real Estate and other commercial disputes. His practice includes representing clients in high-stakes litigation involving breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims, fraud, and real estate mismanagement issues. In a recent case, Smith obtained a complete and swift arbitration victory on behalf of real estate developer Integrated Community Development (ICD) in a complex, bet-the-company case. Smith’s client entered into a contract to purchase vacant land to be developed into much needed affordable housing, but the seller misrepresented the suitability of the property for such a development. Smith moved quickly to compel arbitration, completed discovery within an accelerated two-month window, and obtained a complete victory on all counts after a week-long arbitration, including the awarding of attorneys’ fees for his client.
Additionally, Smith has spent the last several years developing his Trusts and Estates Litigation Practice, which he created in response to demand from his clients. In it, he counsels high-net-worth individuals and owners of closely held companies regarding sophisticated probate cases in state and federal courts.
“With Ryan’s broad experience in real estate litigation and excellent understanding of the local market in Orange County, he’ll be a tremendous asset to our clients and to Greenberg Traurig’s Real Estate Practice overall, which is one of the cornerstone practices of our firm,” Bruce Fischer and Susan L. Heller, co-managing shareholders of the Orange County office, said in a joint statement. “He brings a solid reputation in delivering quality service to clients and will fit in well with the collaborative culture of our firm.”
“Ryan is a stellar addition to our litigation team,” said Jeff E. Scott, co-chair of the global Litigation Practice. “With a client-service mindset and the ability to manage complex cases, he brings invaluable experience to our nationally-renowned litigation group.”
Smith credits his service in the United States Marine Corps – where he planned and commanded combat operations as a squad leader in Iraq and trained Iraqi police – with providing him leadership experience at a young age, instilling discipline, and teaching him how to work with others to solve intricate problems. Smith is a trustee of the November 10th Association, which hosts the annual Marine Corp Ball in Southern California; a chief of The Noble Vikings, a charitable organization in Orange County for families and veterans in need; a member of the executive council of the University of California, Irvine’s Diabetes Center; and a board member of City of Hope hospital’s annual fundraiser for cancer research.
“In joining Greenberg Traurig, I have the valuable opportunity to practice law at one of the largest and most entrepreneurial law firms in the world,” Smith said. “The firm’s global platform and collaborative culture will provide me with a wide range of resources to serve my clients at the highest level and grow my practice exponentially.”
Smith received his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Boston College.
