Mark Smith’s clients include hospitals, doctors and other health care providers throughout the state of Tennessee. He handles the defense of medical negligence claims and suits involving allegations of wrongful death and catastrophic injuries with the potential for significant financial exposure. He has also successfully defended cases for his hospital clients involving other types of claims such as premises liability. Other practice areas include general, commercial, estate and appellate litigation, as well as high-exposure plaintiff’s personal injury cases. He recently obtained appellate reversal of the largest additur in reported Tennessee appellate history. Mr. Smith has practiced law for more than 27 years, including more than 10 years in Dallas, where he was a partner at Strasburger & Price.
A Nashville native, Mr. Smith received his J.D. from the University of Virginia, where he was a member of the Virginia Journal of International Law. He received a master’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Obtained defense verdict for hospital, following jury trial on claims of medical negligence in connection with delivery of infant
- Multiple summary judgments and dismissals in favor of hospitals and doctors, in suits alleging failure to diagnose heart attack, failure to diagnose cancer, medication errors, nursing negligence, wrongful death and other claims of medical malpractice
- Part of the trial team that obtained defense verdicts in two month-long jury trials, on claims brought by former psychiatric patients against a major health care corporation. One of those verdicts was recognized by the National Law Journal as the nation’s “biggest defense win” in 1999
Education
- M.A., University of Virginia, 1992
- J.D., University of Virginia, 1991
- B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1984
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
- Washington D.C.
- Texas
Honors
- Woodward/White: The Best Lawyers In America 2017-Present (Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants)
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Activities
- Member of the Texas, Tennessee, District of Columbia and Nashville Bar Associations
- Defense Research Institute
Civic Activities
- Past President, Tennessee Chapter, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America
- Rotary Club of Nashville