Ryan R. Smith

Experienced trial attorney with over 25 years of litigation success across criminal defense, personal injury, medical malpractice, and complex civil disputes. Highly skilled in case strategy, courtroom advocacy, motion practice, and trial preparation. Recognized for persuasive legal writing, effective communication, and achieving favorable outcomes for clients. Currently seeking to leverage litigation expertise within a challenging and dynamic plaintiff’s firm.

• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (2001)
• United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
• United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• J.D., Duquesne University School of Law – 2000
• M.B.A., Robert Morris University – 1993
• B.A., Political Science, Miami University (Ohio) – 1989

Solo Practitioner – Pittsburgh, PA

2007 – Present

• Manage all phases of litigation, including investigation, discovery, motions practice, and trial.
• Represent clients in complex federal and state criminal cases, including drug conspiracies, firearms offenses, and unlawful reentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326.
• Handle personal injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury cases from inception through resolution or trial.
• Argue sentencing departures, suppression motions, and key pretrial matters in federal and state courts.
• Draft persuasive legal briefs, dispositive motions, and appellate filings at the trial and appellate levels.
• Litigate civil matters including defamation, negligence, and professional liability claims.
• Build and sustain a litigation practice focused on effective advocacy, strategic case resolution, and trial readiness.

Notable Case Work:

Federal Criminal Defense:

• Drug conspiracy, firearm enhancements, illegal reentry, embezzlement under 18 U.S.C. § 656

State Criminal Defense

Resolved over 50 cases to acquittal or dismissal via jury and non-jury trials and constitutional challenges to government search and seizure procedure

Medical Malpractice:

• Seven figure settlement – Failure to timely diagnose sepsis in 29-year-old following routine cholecystectomy
• Seven figure settlement – Failure to diagnose atherosclerosis and incomplete LAD artery blockage in 39-year-old father of a minor child
• Positioning injury during surgery resulting in permanent nerve damage to patient’s left leg
• Significant settlement in dental malpractice case involving wrong tooth extraction in a 13-year-old girl

Workers’ Compensation:

• Substantial settlement for a 39-year-old man with permanent scarring and closed head injury after cherry picker fall
• Settlement for 45-year-old man after right forefinger amputation operating punch press
• Large settlement for 55-year-old steelworker suffering permanent scarring from lathe accident

Premises Liability:

• Policy limits settlement for 65-year-old woman injured on black ice in parking lot
• Policy limits settlement for 40-year-old woman who fractured foot due to inadequate stair lighting at music venue
• Policy limits settlement for 62-year-old man injured in dog bite incident
• Policy limits settlement for 78-year-old man with tibia fracture after slipping in casino parking garage
• Six-figure settlement for 37-year-old man who fractured hip in flooded restaurant restroom
• Successful appeal reversing summary judgment for national bank, leading to six-figure settlement for 81-year-old woman with soft tissue injuries

Auto & Vehicle Liability:

• Policy limits settlement for 29-year-old passenger with ruptured spleen from drunk driving incident
• Policy limits settlement for 25-year-old woman with bilateral arm fractures from motor vehicle collision
• Policy limits settlement for 23-year-old passenger with lacerated kidney following head-on collision
• $50,000 verdict exceeding high-low agreement in motor vehicle accident involving 56-year-old plaintiff with soft tissue injuries

Product Liability & Other Claims:

• Five-figure settlement against national fast-food chain for foreign object injury in food
• Five-figure settlement against automobile manufacturer for defective truck seat
• Local counsel role in $3.5 million settlement in national securities class action

Westlaw | LexisNexis | Microsoft Office Suite | Adobe Acrobat | eVoucher | PACER | Trial preparation tools

• President, Board of Directors, M. Patricia Carroll Fund
• Volunteer, Pennsylvania Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
• Member, Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel, Western District of Pennsylvania
• Member, Allegheny County Bar Association
• Volunteer, Pro Bono Legal Clinics

Fly fishing (saltwater and mountain streams) | Golf | Writing | Reading | Outdoor travel | Public speaking