A general practice, with real depth where it counts

Smith Lewis, LLP represents a number of large and small utility companies in Missouri. This includes representation in Missouri State Courts, as well as before the Missouri Public Service Commission. We assist our utility clients with transactional work, including transactions involving other utilities, defense of tort claims, acquisition of property and property rights via negotiation and condemnation, and various regulatory matters.

Smith Lewis, LLP's team of malpractice defense lawyers represents physicians, dentists, and other health care providers in state and federal court. We handle all aspects of these cases, from advising before suits are filed to all discovery, including hiring and deposing experts and fact witnesses, assisting with mediation, and handling trials and appeals. Collectively, we have handled hundreds of professional negligence cases with many of those cases proceeding to jury trials across the state of Missouri.

Smith Lewis, LLP attorneys help clients create business entities of all types, such as Limited Liability Companies, partnerships, and corporations, both for profit and not for profit. We represent a wide variety of businesses, including public utilities, real estate developers, banks and other financial institutions, construction contractors, retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, accounting and architectural firms, medical and dental practices, service-related businesses, and not-for-profit entities. We offer services to our clients in areas such as handling acquisitions, mergers, or divestitures, contract negotiation, business liability, governmental regulations, administrative, management, corporate governance, taxation, dispute litigation and resolution, employment law, and business succession planning.

Smith Lewis, LLP provides comprehensive estate planning services to a wide variety of clients. Our services range from simple estate planning designed to address the care and well-being of minor children in the case of the parents' deaths to complex business succession and federal estate-tax planning. Our estate planning efforts are directed toward fully educating clients and helping them achieve peace of mind as they confront their mortality. Where appropriate we help clients create and administer a variety of types of trusts, employ non-probate transfers, and draft wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives. We also handle various probate related matters, including the administration of decedent's estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and related litigation such as will contests and fiduciary liability matters.

Smith Lewis, LLP attorneys regularly handle matters involving the purchase, sale, development, use, and regulation of real estate. We assist developers and other landowners with matters involving zoning and subdividing, requests for variances, and conditional use permits, and handle related appearances before local planning and zoning boards and city councils. We also handle matters involving easements, adverse possession, boundary-line disputes, and other matters relating to the rights of property owners.

We represent business entities and individuals in all kinds of disputes, including construction, mechanics liens, contract disputes, employment issues such as noncompetition agreement enforcement, and others.

Smith Lewis, LLP attorneys have substantial experience in employment-related policies and procedures. We handle Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) complaints and actions, as well as handling employment disputes through governmental agencies and the courts. We advise and represent both employers and employees in contractual negotiations and disputes, wage and hour matters, and other employment-related matters.

We provide advice and representation to banks and other financial institutions regarding a wide range of entity governance, compliance, contract, and other matters.

We work with corporations and local public utilities to acquire easements and other property rights needed for the operation of their businesses. We also regularly represent individuals and businesses whose property is targeted to be taken for various public purposes. We handle negotiations between the condemning entity and the landowner, arrange appraisals, and conduct trials to assess compensation for the property taken.

The attorneys at Smith Lewis, LLP have extensive experience in representing the interests of individuals and organizations before local governing boards and agencies and state agencies, including, for example, the Missouri Public Service Commission, Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts, and the Missouri State Dental Board.

Our attorneys have experience in representing both plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury disputes. We have obtained large judgments and settlements for plaintiffs and have won many defense verdicts in the face of large demands.