Jason Ari Smith

Jason focuses his practice on complex civil litigation involving business and real estate matters. In his business litigation practice, Jason has experience representing clients in matters involving the rights and obligations of shareholders, officers and directors, LLC members and managers, business partners, and other business stakeholders, the enforceability of restrictive covenants such as non-compete and confidentiality agreements, the collection of commercial debts, the application of state and federal laws governing consumer protection, unfair competition, trade secrets, copyrights, racketeering activity, and securities fraud, and a wide variety of other contract and business tort disputes.

In his real estate litigation practice, Jason has experience representing clients in matters involving construction disputes (including owners, developers, design professionals, contractors and suppliers), commercial and residential landlord-tenant disputes, commercial and residential foreclosures, the enforceability of purchase-sale agreements, broker/agent entitlement to commissions, broker/agent duties and disclosure obligations, compliance with architectural / structural requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), condominium and homeowners association governance, equitable lien rights, title disputes, mortgage fraud, insurance claims and a range of other real estate related contract and tort issues.

Jason also has experience representing clients in other civil litigation areas such as labor and employment disputes (including discrimination, wrongful termination and wage/hour claims), trust and estate disputes (including the duties of a trustee and matters of fraud or undue influence), and professional liability disputes (including malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty claims involving lawyers, accountants, real estate brokers/agents, insurance brokers/agents, design professionals such as architects and engineers, and healthcare providers such as hospitals and physicians).

Jason is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). The CFE credential is conferred by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and provider of anti-fraud training and education. The mission of the ACFE is to reduce the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime and to assist ACFE membership in fraud detection and deterrence.

Jason was born in Abington, Pennsylvania in 1982. He received a merit-based Founders Scholarship to attend Tulane University and graduated cum laude in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in both Business Management and Legal Studies in Business. Jason then earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, graduating cum laude in 2007. During law school, Jason was selected to become a member of the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board and later served as a Moot Court Board Vice President administering the 2006 Negotiation Competition. In addition, he won the Fall 2005 Advanced Moot Court Competition and was a finalist in a 2006 American Bar Association Regional Negotiation Competition. Jason is involved in a variety of local organizations including as a member of the Tulane Alumni Club of South Florida. He presently lives in Fort Lauderdale.

Professional Designations and Certifications

CFE: Certified Fraud Examiner, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Honors and Awards

AV-Preeminent® Peer Review Rated – Martindale-Hubbell

Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers Magazine, 2012

Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers Magazine, 2019

Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers Magazine, 2020