Abraham G. Smith

Abe is partner in the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, widely recognized as the best in Nevada, together with Dan Polsenberg and Joel Henriod. Abe has been counsel in more than 170 appeals and in the Nevada Supreme Court, the Nevada Court of Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, resulting in 24 published opinions. He has argued before all three courts.

Abe regularly handles some of the largest and most high-profile litigation in Nevada, including the cases arising from the hepatitis C outbreak among Las Vegas endoscopy clinics in the late 2000s and the recent cases surrounding the opioid-abuse crisis.

Abe uses his appellate expertise to help clients and their trial counsel at all stages of a dispute: to guide the legal strategy in framing or responding to a complaint, to create and preserve issues during discovery and at trial, and to navigate the complex world of post-judgment proceedings and appeals, from obtaining a stay of the judgment to petitioning for rehearing. He thinks creatively about appellate issues such as preclusion doctrines or jurisdiction to maximize value for the client. In addition to winning appeals, the clear and effective framing of appellate issues helps clients achieve favorable settlements.

Abe strongly believes that access to justice should not depend on one’s ability to pay. With Dan Polsenberg, he is the 2018 recipient of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada’s Award of Excellence. Abe has represented dozens of children in appeals and writ petitions through the Legal Aid Center’s Children’s Attorneys Project and has assisted indigent Nevadans in their lawsuits and appeals.

Before joining the firm, he served as a legal intern for the U.S. Department of State in the Office of the Legal Adviser in Washington, D.C.