Creative Solutions for Challenges of All Sizes
The Smith & Bahakel team is exclusively committed to the practice of civil litigation. Since its founding, our firm has developed a reputation for aggressive, effective litigation in state and federal courts across the State of Alabama. Our firm represents a diverse group of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, insurers, self-insured clients, family businesses, and a variety of professionals and other individuals, primarily for defense.
Our firm accepts cases of all shapes and sizes, ranging from complex matters involving difficult legal issues to “garden variety” slip and fall and vehicular negligence cases. Our firm routinely provides top quality representation in less complex plaintiff matters, in part as a means of providing opportunities to our younger, developing lawyers.
Through many years of participation in professional and community activities, the firm has built a network of valuable contacts and relationships across the state. The firm has also served as a “feeder” of exceptional young legal talent to trial and appellate judges across Alabama. One of the firm’s goals is to support the local bar, especially the young lawyer bench. These resources have proven beneficial to clients, often producing unexpected results.
The firm’s attorneys and staff work closely as a team to get the job done. Above all else, we value the trust and respect of clients. We strongly believe that close partnership with our clients is the key to developing winning strategies. Our attorneys involve clients in the decision-making process, candidly discuss issues, and provide frank and honest assessments. In this way, problems are identified before the crisis stage and unpleasant surprises are eliminated.
Smith & Bahakel is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. The firm’s founding partner, Carol Ann Smith, was the first woman to serve as, respectively, President of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Birmingham Bar Foundation, and the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. Among other honors, she has been recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as among the “Top Ten Women in Birmingham” and the “Best Lawyers in Birmingham.” She has routinely been selected as among Alabama’s Super Lawyers.