Joseph C. Smith, Jr.

Joe Smith has been first-chairing trials for more than twenty-five years, in federal and state courts as well as confidential arbitrations. He typically represents commercial plaintiffs in complex, high-stakes cases involving claims such as breach of contract, fraud, securities violations, patent infringement, trade secrets or other business torts. He has tried billion-dollar cases and is a veteran of some of the nation's most notorious legal battles in recent decades, including those surrounding Enron's demise and the residential mortgage-backed securities scandals associated with the Great Recession. His clients have included global leaders in finance, private equity, institutional investing, heavy industry, consumer products, energy, and retail operations.

Joe was the youngest Kirkland & Ellis lawyer to join Bartlit Beck upon the firm's original spin-off from K&E in 1993. He has been with the firm ever since, with the exception of his serving for two years (1997-98) as Colorado's Deputy Attorney General for Natural Resources, leading the largest section of that office.

Joe is a member of the Colorado bar and has been admitted to practice in state and federal courts across the country, including the United States Supreme Court.