Biography

Mark W. Smith, Sr. is a graduate of Louisiana State University, earning a Bachelors Degree in History in 1981. He received his law degree from Tulane University School of Law in 1984 and was immediately admitted to the Bar as an attorney in the state of Louisiana.

He initially began his legal career as a law clerk to the Chief Judge of the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, the Honorable John C. Boutall. From there he became law clerk to the Senior Judge of the 24th Judicial District Court in the Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, the Honorable Frank V. Zaccaria.

After almost three years clerking, Mr. Smith entered private practice. He immediately began concentrating in personal injury litigation including: medical malpractice, automobile accidents, maritime injuries, and wrongful death.

In 1989 Mark went to work for one of the city of New Orleans premier personal injury firms and worked on aviation disasters (the Avianca air crash in New York), maritime personal injury claims, medical malpractice claims, wrongful death claims, and class action claims. In 1994 Mark opened his own firm and has been in private practice for himself since that date.

With the destruction left behind by Hurricane Katrina, the firm of Mark W. Smith & Associates has represented literally hundreds of individuals whose claims where mishandled by their insurance companies. They have had great success on their client’s behalf and was involved as lead counsel in one of the very few court certified class actions arising from Katrina.

Mark has represented literally thousands of individuals, winning tens of millions of dollars in recoveries, from insurance companies, major corporations, and governmental entities for everything from slip and fall accidents to paraplegia to wrongful death cases.

Mark W. Smith is admitted to practice in all state courts in Louisiana and Federal Courts in the Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana. He is also admitted to the United Sates Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and to the United States Supreme Court. He has earned an “AV” rating , the highest rating possible, for legal ability and for ethics from his fellow attorneys. He has been named one of New Orleans Top Lawyers by New Orleans Magazine and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Mark is married and the father of four and has lived in the New Orleans area his entire life. He has served as a vestry member of his church, has been a board member and coach of the area's largest soccer organization.

He is dedicated to his clients and the pursuit of justice for the injured. He prides himself on providing personal service and on being accessible to his clients.