Larry D. Smith | Attorney

Larry Smith is a founding partner of SMITH TOOLE & WIGGINS, PL. Larry received his B.S. With Great Honor from the University of North Alabama in 1979, majoring in Criminal Justice and receiving the Presidential Award for highest grade point average in the department. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society. After working in the National Park Service and as a federal law enforcement officer, he entered the University of Alabama School of Law, graduating in May, 1984. In addition to distinguishing himself academically, Mr. Smith was a member of the National Trial Advocacy Team, interned with United States District Judge Robert Propst of the Northern District of Alabama and was elected to membership in Phi Alpha Delta legal society, serving as its Vice-Justice in 1983.

Larry's practice focuses on the defense of complex, high exposure cases for clients such as automotive and drug manufacturers, theme parks, and primary/excess insurance companies. In addition to actively participating in jury trials throughout the country, Mr. Smith has coordinated national discovery efforts in pattern litigation.

Larry is admitted to practice in Florida and Alabama State Courts, the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. He is a member of three sections of the American Bar Association and past Co-Chair of its Subcommittee on Products Liability of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS), Automobile Law Committee and Co-Chair of the Diversity Subcommittee of the Litigation Section's Ethics, and Professionalism Committee. He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA).

Larry is proud to have been recognized by his colleagues through nomination and election to the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC); as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation "an honorary organization of attorneys, judges and law professors whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession . . . ;" and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, "a trial lawyer honorary society established to reflect the new face of the American bar. Membership is limited, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers and is by invitation only."

Larry is a member of The Florida Bar Code & Rules of Evidence Committee. Larry has, since 1999, served on the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism where he served successive terms as Chair of its Diversity Subcommittee. He is a Charter member of The Florida Bar's Equal Opportunities Section (Chair-Elect, 2009) and has served on the Planning Committee of the Second, Third and Fourth Annual Diversity Symposia sponsored by The Florida Bar. Larry Co-Chaired the Fourth Diversity Symposium and served as a panelist at the fifth.

Larry is an alumnus of Leadership Orlando, a chamber-sponsored program designed to identify and involve civic and business leaders in their community. He is active locally in the Orange County Bar Association where he currently serves on its Diversity and Professionalism Committees, provides pro bono services to the victims of AIDS and is a former guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children. He is a founder, President, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Central Florida Gay And Lesbian Law Association, a voluntary bar association within The Florida Bar.

Larry has served as a guest lecturer at Barry University School of Law and at national seminars, including those sponsored by the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and the Society of Automotive Engineers about product liability, civil litigation, and professionalism related issues. He has achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating of "AV", and was selected for inclusion on the Florida Super Lawyers list for 2008 and again in 2009, and has been included in its Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1999.