Natalia D Smith

Natalia Desiderio Smith, Esq. is the founder of The Smith Litigation Firm.  The Firm was established to provide superior legal representation centered around the client's goals.  Her experience has led to exceptional results in small and large cases alike, including multi-million dollar claims.

Ms. Smith has been practicing law for over fourteen years.  She is a highly skilled litigator that is dedicated and accessible to her clients.  She earned her Chemistry degree from the University of California, Riverside with Honors and her law degree from California Western School of Law where she graduated at the top of her class, cum laude.  Ms. Smith is admitted to practice in all courts of the State of California, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Districts of California.  Ms. Smith has also successfully arbitrated many cases through JAMS Mediation Arbitration, Mediation and ADR Services (JAMS), the American Arbitration Association (AAA), as well as the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH).

Before starting her own firm, Ms. Smith was a senior attorney for the law firm of Weule & Ballard located in Carlsbad, California and Andrade & Associates located in Irvine, California.  Both firms specialized in construction disputes, but maintained diverse litigation and trial practices.  Ms. Smith has managed, settled, tried, and obtained excellent results in many non-construction disputes including business, commercial, real estate, and general civil litigation.

Ms. Smith is well versed in all aspects of federal and state civil litigation including alternative dispute resolution, provisional remedies, discovery, mediation, trial, judgment enforcement, and appeals.

She is an expert in construction disputes.  She has exhaustively litigated every type of private and public works construction dispute including breach of contract, mechanics' liens, payment and performance bonds, Miller Act, bid protests, delays, disruption, and defects.  Ms. Smith has developed a network of industry leading experts to assist in prosecuting or defending any type of construction claim.

Ms. Smith served on the Board of the Engineering Contractors Association and has been a member of the National Women In Construction, Orange County Bar Association and San Diego Bar Association.  She is also admitted to practice in all U.S. District Courts in California.

She was born in Argentina and is fluent in Spanish.