Brian T. Smith
Member
Brian T. Smith is the Leader of Dykema's Product Liability and Class Actions Practice and a nationally recognized litigator who guides manufacturers through complex product liability, consumer, and breach of warranty litigation nationwide. He leads high-profile litigation and national counsel programs for automotive manufacturers, suppliers, emerging mobility companies, and other businesses, helping clients manage risk, coordinate defense strategies, and resolve high-exposure disputes across 43 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Brian serves as national, regional, and trial counsel in matters involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, consumer class actions, breach of warranty, automobile negligence, premises liability, workplace safety, asbestos, and other complex civil claims. He advises clients on all facets of litigation, including case strategy, discovery management, document production, witness preparation, corporate training, and trial readiness.
A significant portion of Brian's practice involves overseeing large-scale warranty and consumer litigation programs for leading manufacturers. He manages coordinated discovery and document production efforts in thousands of matters nationwide, including California breach of warranty litigation, helping clients satisfy demanding discovery obligations while maintaining consistency across jurisdictions. His experience includes supervising litigation portfolios comprising thousands of warranty, product liability, and premises liability claims and coordinating document production in more than 9,500 cases.
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- University of Detroit Mercy, J.D., cum laude, Inns of Court, Order of Barristers, Justice Frank Murphy Honor Society
- University of Detroit Mercy, B.A., summa cum laude
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Bar Admissions
- Michigan, 1999
- Illinois, 2000
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Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2019
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1999
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1999
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 2001
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2002
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Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
- Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants, 2023-2027
- Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, 2023-2027
- Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2019-2027
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Named “Lawyer of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America®
- Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2025
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Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Key Lawyer for Automotive Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action, 2022-2025; Automotive Litigation, 2022-2023; Transport: Rail and Road – Litigation, 2020-2021
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Named a Top Lawyer in Product Liability by dbusiness Magazine, 2018
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Recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers® for Personal Injury - Products: Defense, Class Action/Mass Torts: Defense, and Civil Litigation: 2026
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Macomb County Bar Association
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Wayne County Bar Association
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American Bar Association
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Chicago Bar Association
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Product Liability Advisory Council ("PLAC"), Member
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Areas of client focus
214 Dykema Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 214 of its attorneys, in multiple practice…
52 Dykema Attorneys Named to 2026 Michigan Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 29 of its attorneys from the firm’s…
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that the firm’s Automotive Product Liability…
