Paul Smith is a Partner in the Seattle office of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP. He is a member of the firm's Tort & Catastrophic Loss and Construction & Design Law Practice Sections. He handles general liability, trucking and transportation, catastrophic tort and insurance defense matters. Mr. Smith has extensive experience resolving complex matters through mediation, arbitration and trial. He also regularly conducts hearings as an arbitrator for King County Superior Court when assigned to cases proceeding through mandatory arbitration.
Prior to joining FMG, Mr. Smith practiced for nearly 20 years at a mid-sized civil litigation and insurance defense firm in Seattle and for 8 years as an admiralty and marine defense counsel, also in Seattle. He has handled a wide range of personal injury, trucking and transportation, products liability, general liability and insurance defense matters. Mr. Smith has defended commercial and residential property owners in premises liability, boundary disputes and timber trespass cases. He has also represented general contractors and subcontractors in construction defect lawsuits both as defendants and third-party plaintiffs seeking contractual indemnification. As an admiralty lawyer, Mr. Smith defended vessel owners and terminal operators against Jones Act and USL&H claims as well as vessel collision and cargo damage matters.
Mr. Smith earned his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law and his B.A. in Economics from the University of Washington.