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Appellate attorney D. Todd Smith has joined Butler Snow LLP, strengthening the firm’s already impressive appellate and written advocacy practice in Austin and Texas, as well as continuing the growth of the firm’s Austin office.
Smith comes to Butler Snow with 25 years of experience representing clients as lead appellate counsel and working with trial teams in all phases of civil litigation. He is a well-respected member of the Austin Bar and Texas appellate community, having presented multiple cases before the Texas Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
“Many of our team members have known and worked with Todd over the years. He has an impressive track record and extensive experience,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow. “We are thrilled to have him join our team and know that his client-first, team-oriented approach will serve our clients and the firm well.”
Smith is the creator and publisher of the Texas Appellate Law Blog, the first blog to cover key topics related to Texas appellate practice. He is also the creator, producer and co-host of the Texas Appellate Law Podcast, which shares insights and best practices through engaging conversations with top trial and appellate practitioners, judges and other court staff.
Smith holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University, a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech University and a Juris Doctorate with honors from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He is a Life Fellow of both the Austin Bar and Texas Bar Foundations and completed two terms on the St. Mary’s Law Alumni Board of Directors. He is also a trustee of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society and serves on the State Bar’s Board of Directors, as well as the Standing Committee on Pattern Jury Charges for the Business, Consumer, Insurance and Employment volume.
Smith joins an already well-respected team with significant national experience in Butler Snow’s Appellate practice group, including Amanda G. Taylor, Scott K. Field, Marshall A. Bowen, Amy M. Pepke and Donna Brown Jacobs. Butler Snow’s appellate lawyers add critical value to achieving ultimate success in litigation through their specialized written and oral advocacy skills, in addition to their case strategy and management capabilities. The team has made appearances before the United States Supreme Court, 11 of the 13 United States Courts of Appeal, several State Supreme Courts and other intermediate appellate courts.
“Todd will be a valuable member of our appellate team because he brings a broad base of experience on substantive legal issues and applies best practices when handling complex disputes. Todd keeps a pulse on need-to-know trends and issues, which directly benefits the clients he serves,” said Amanda G. Taylor, practice group leader.
Butler Snow’s Austin office has been growing rapidly over the past several years and moved to the newly completed SXSW Center at the beginning of 2020. Along with the appellate group, other members of the Austin location include Kim Bueno, Christopher R. Cowan, Gary W. Davis, Cedric E. Evans, Katie A. Fillmore, Thomas A. Forbes, Eric J.R. Nichols and Karson K. Thompson, who have noteworthy practices in pharmaceutical, product liability and commercial litigation, in addition to governmental relations.
About Butler Snow
Butler Snow LLP is a full-service law firm with nearly 400 attorneys collaborating across a network of more than 25 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Ranked as a leading firm for client relations and one of America’s Top 100 law firms in the BTI Power Rankings, Butler Snow is recognized as one of the nation’s top law firms for client service. The firm was recently ranked 48th out of 650 firms in the BTI Client Relationship Scorecard for understanding client business, anticipating client needs, unprompted communication, legal skills, quality and keeping clients informed. Butler Snow is a member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading network of independent law firms. For more information, visit www.butlersnow.com or follow the firm on Twitter @Butler_Snow.
