Brian T. Smith
Member
Brian T. Smith, a member of Dykema's litigation practice and practice leader of the product liability and class action defense practice, focuses on general civil litigation, with an emphasis on product liability defense.
He has handled numerous product liability cases involving catastrophic injury and death, consumer product class action claims, and a variety of commercial and contract disputes. Described as “highly regarded in automotive product liability” by Legal 500 US 2022, Brian has defended numerous automotive and other product manufacturers in litigation across the country, including in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, California, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Arizona, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Several of these manufacturers have asked Brian to present at in-house seminars on a variety of topics including rollover accidents, forklift litigation, and Michigan procedural requirements. Brian is also counsel for automobile negligence cases. He has handled several automobile negligence cases, including company car and fleet related claims, on behalf of a number of companies. Brian has also first chaired automobile negligence trials.
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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® for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2019-2024
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Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Key Lawyer for Automotive Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action, 2022-2024; 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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- Macomb County Bar Association
- Wayne County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
Areas of client focus
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