$ 425-425 per hour
David Campbell Smith
About David
Biography
David is a seasoned civil litigation attorney with over thirty years’ experience working at some of the best law firms in the country, as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and most recently as Associate General Counsel at Freddie Mac and General Counsel of a property management company. David’s experience working for the client and as the client gives him a unique perspective few attorneys have.
In private practice, David was first chair and tried to verdict dozens of jury and bench trials in California state and U.S. District courts. David was also lead counsel in several matters before the California Court of Appeal and was first chair in dozens of arbitrations and mediations in multiple forums. In his in-house positions, David supervised an extensive litigation docket, managed teams of attorneys and support staff and reported regularly to C-level executives and Boards of Directors.
David started his career at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, moving after several years to Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine. At these internationally recognized Am Law 100 firms, David honed his litigation skills under the tutelage of the finest litigation and trial attorneys in the country. David then moved to a boutique real estate and litigation firm in Santa Monica, CA, before joining a former Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner at another boutique firm where David became a name partner. At both these firms, David gained significant first chair jury trial experience in both state and federal courts, and it was at these firms that David gained significant real estate litigation exposure. After almost two decades, David moved to Washington, D.C. where he became a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, before becoming an Associate General Counsel at Freddie Mac. In this role, David managed an extensive litigation portfolio involving all manner of real estate litigation. Most recently, David returned to the Los Angeles area with his family and took the General Counsel position at a private real estate holding and management company, which owns and manages more than 20,000 multifamily units in the southwest U.S. There, David was in charge of managing a large litigation docket involving habitability, ADA, eminent domain and a host of other issues.
Having started his own firm, David is excited to put his extensive big firm and in-house experience to work representing individuals and businesses.
Practice Areas
2
Practice Areas
Landlord or Tenant
50%
30 years | 200 cases
Litigation
50%
39 years | 200 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in California for 38 years
State: California
Acquired: 1987
No misconduct found
Licensed in Maryland for 14 years
State: Maryland
Acquired: 2012
No misconduct found
Location
Campbell Smith Law
1901 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90067
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David Campbell Smith's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
10 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 review | Personal Injury
Posted by Hilda | October 19, 2017 | Personal Injury
Excellent Lawyer Highly recommend
After several months of trying unsuccessfully on my own to recover medical costs resulting from a minor car accident I finally decided to seek help. David Smith is extremely knowledgeable and within days of contacting him, a settlement was reached with the insurance co. David responded quickly to a...
David Campbell Smith's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer. David is a world class litigator and trial attorney. As a chief legal officer and general counsel I have retained David twice for federal trials in Southern California. The first trial over 15 years ago and it was a “bet the company” matter. Because of David’s expertise in the courtroom we prevailed and the results were beyond our expectations. Years later when faced with another matter in Southern California I again retained David as trail counsel. Lightning struck twice. He delivered and we prevailed. David provides the highest-quality cost-effective legal services."
"I have known Dave for 25 years. We’ve litigated cases together and brainstormed others, so I know how he works and how he thinks. Dave is smart, practical and aggressive. You want him on your team - not against you!"
"David is an experienced lawyer who uses sound judgment to solve problems pragmatically. He is a pleasure to work with."
"Dave is a trustworthy attorney with extensive experience with private and government client litigation. His legal abilities and personal ethics are unquestionably strong."
"David Smith is a superb trial attorney with deep experience trying case and resolving them on the eve of trial through his intense preparation. He has advised me on numerous sensitive matters, and I would not hesitate to put an urgent, complex and high stakes matter in his hands. An excellent communicator who keeps a calm, professional demeanor and strategic focus while others are losing theirs. I recommend without hesitation."
"David is an exceptional attorney with a wealth of experience handling complex litigation."
"I endorse this lawyer. David is a tremendous trial lawyer with excellent experience in real estate litigation. As a transactional attorney, I valued David's pre-litigation strategy and ability to take the reins once the matter went to court. David is dedicated, prepared and well spoken. Both clients and I were impressed with his strong counsel and greatly satisfied with his results."
"I endorse this lawyer wholeheartedly! Very accomplished lawyer and terrific person - a tremendous attorney to have represent you!"
Leland Wahl
Litigation lawyer
Experience
Honors
2019
Pro Bono Partner of the Year, Public Counsel
2016
Detained Immigrants Champion - Freddie Mac, CAIR Coalition (Immigrants Rights)
2015
Pro Bono Honor Roll, CAIR Coalition (Immigrants Rights)
2010
Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers
2009
Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers
2008
Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers
2008
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2008
Distinguished Member, Who's Who Legal
2007
Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers
Work Experience
2017 - Present
Owner, Campbell Smith Law
2017 - 2017
General Counsel, JK Residential
2013 - 2016
Associate General Counsel, Freddie Mac
2011 - 2013
Trial Attorney, United States Dept. Of Justice
2000 - 2010
Partner, McNamara, Spira & Smith
1991 - 2000
Shareholder, Stern, Neubauer, Greenwald & Pauly
1988 - 1991
Associate, Donavan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine
1986 - 1988
Associate, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Associations
2021 - Present
Los Angeles County Superior CourtJudge Pro Tem
2018 - Present
California Association of RealtorsMediator
2017 - Present
State Bar of California, Real Property Law SectionMember
2017 - Present
Southern California Association of Non-Profit HousingMember
2017 - Present
National Lawyers GuildMember
2017 - Present
Los Angeles County Bar AssociationMember
2017 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember
2017 - Present
Lawyers of DistinctionMember
2012 - Present
Maryland State Bar AssociationMember
2016 - 2017
Capital Area Immigrants Rights CoalitionBoard of Directors
2010 - 2013
Hogar Immigrant ServicesMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Owensmouth v Silver & Freedman
Verdict for plaintiff after jury trial
US v Stein, et al
Following civil proceedings, criminal indictment dismissed
Riley v. Hilton Hotels
Action dismissed by trial court and dismissal affirmed on appeal
Castillo v Fairbanks Capital
Jury verdict in favor of plaintiffs. Court awarded plaintiffs attorneys' fees and costs in post-trial proceedings.
Robison v Six Flags
Summary judgment reversed
Banks v CitiMortgage
Case settled favorably on first day of jury selection
Education
1983
University of Natal
LL.B - Bachelor of Laws
1980
University of Natal
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2021
Landlord Tenant Developments
Landlord Tenant Developments
2018
Seller-Financing Restrictions Under Dodd-Frank
Dodd-Frank
Publications
2019
Lorman Education Services publication
Seller-Financing Restrictions Under Dodd-Frank
2018
Lorman Institute
Seller-Financing Restrictions Under Dodd-Frank
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Answers
Q&A
Is it reasonable expect that a court will allow an increase in the page count on a summary judgment response from 20 to 35?
16 Jul 2021
Q&A
Can I charge the tenant for paying for bed bug treatment?
08 Aug 2019
Q&A
Upstairs neighbor using residential apartment as an office space, very noisy. Can I sue my landlord for not stopping this?
07 Aug 2019