Christopher Joseph Smith

Christopher Smith was born and raised in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School. He went on to John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated with honors in the top 20% of his class with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Communications. Mr. Smith also played for the John Carroll University Football team and helped his team become the 2003 NCAA Division III East Regional Champions and gain a birth in the NCAA Division III Final Four. He then attended St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, Florida and graduated cum laude in the top 15% of his class, while winning awards as the top student in Family Law and Criminal Procedure.  While in law school Mr. Smith was a tutor for students in Torts Law and was a member of the Moot Court team and won the best overall competitor award in the law school moot court competition. During his time at St. Thomas, Mr. Smith also became certified to practice law in front of the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida and practiced personal injury law with a Miami based Plaintiff’s law firm.

Mr. Smith passed the Florida bar exam in 2007 and has been practicing with Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice and Purtz, P.A. ever since. Mr. Smith is a trial attorney for personal injury cases.  Mr. Smith made partner with the firm in 2011.  He became managing partner of the firm in 2018.   He is an Eagle member of the Florida Justice Association, the State’s Plaintiff’s Trial Lawyer Association. In 2016, he was inducted into the Florida Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (FLABOTA) as a Member in their Southwest Florida Chapter. FLABOTA is an invite only group that has stringent requirements trial attorneys must meet in order to qualify. Mr. Smith is admitted to practice in front of all of the state courts of Florida and also the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Mr. Smith is also the firm’s team leader for Walk like MADD 5k Walk and Run and the firm is the presenting sponsor for the event.  Mr. Smith also shares a close relationship with MADD and aids in their quest to end drunk driving.  Mr. Smith is married to Andrea Pleimling Smith, another partner and trial attorney with the firm.