Previous Law Firm Name

• Smoot, Steven M.

Law Firm Overview

Since graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1977, Mr. Smoot has actively practiced in various areas of civil litigation across the State of Texas, but particularly in Houston and Austin. During much of the 1980's, Mr. Smoot was a trial lawyer for the State Bar of Texas in the prosecution of lawyer disciplinary cases all over the State of Texas, ultimately becoming First Assistant General Counsel and Chief Trial Lawyer for the State Bar of Texas. Since leaving the State Bar in 1989, Mr. Smoot has maintained his own law practice in Austin and then in Houston, devoted to civil litigation with particular emphasis on lawyer professional responsibility - legal malpractice, legal ethics, grievance defense. Mr. Smoot has represented clients in legal malpractice actions brought in other states with local attorneys as co-counsel. Below you will find a more complete list of his accomplishments.

Areas of Practice

• Legal Malpractice 60%
• Civil Litigation 20%
• Legal Ethics/ Professional Responsibility 20%

Representative Cases

• Lederman v. Prudential Life Insurance Company of America, Inc., 897 A.2d 373 (385 N.J.Super. 324 2006)
• Burrow v. Arce, 997 S.W.3d 229 (Tex. 1999)
• Arce v. Burrow, 956 S.W.2d 239 (Tex.App.- Houston 1997)
• Quinn v. State Bar of Texas, Tex. (763 S.W.2d 397 1988)

West Practice Categories

Employment Law -- Employee, Wage & Hour Laws -- Employee, Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Ethics, Professional Responsibility, Litigation & Appeals, Complex Litigation, Federal Trial Practice, State Trial Practice, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Professional Malpractice Law, Legal Malpractice