Legal Elite Awards 2021

10 | Legal Elite Awards 2021 Best Criminal Defence Attorney – Georgia The Law Offices of Ken Smith, LLC is dedicated to helping the members of its community with their legal needs. Its goal is to make a difference in peoples’ lives one case a time. The primary focus of the practice is representing people charged with crimes ranging frommisdemeanour to felony in federal and state courts. If there is a focus here, it will be with DUI, drug crimes and crimes of violence. The firm also represents those hurt in a wreck or slip and fall, be it a small injury or a wrongful death action. It is also often involved in business litigation, particularly in what it calls business divorce cases where the relationship of the owners has become untenable. ounder, Ken Smith is a trial lawyer with an MBA, JB and an array of legal experience, privileged to serve the citizens of his hometown. His firm is dedicated to achieving the best possible results for clients facing difficult situations and legal pressures in the middle Georgia area. It is a firm designed around the concept of personal growth; the goal is for every member of the team to get better and have more meaningful experiences over time. Ken Smith has been very lucky to have some wonderful staff and clerks over the years. He keeps in contact with nearly all of them and is amazed at how far their creativity, skills and ambition has taken each of them. He is also amazed at how much he has learned with and from them. The law can seem stodgy and cold, but people aren’t. He finds that if you invest in others, they will invest in you. And, let’s face it, the better the firm is, the better it serves its clients. The best lawyers listen. They are genuinely interested in their clients’ life experiences and legal needs. They ask questions and as the clients respond, they look for ways to get more information. The best lawyers also answer questions in a way that is legally correct and personally meaningful for the client. The best lawyers paint a clear picture for the clients that can be relied on as their decisions are made. That communication will pay dividends in the long run. The Law Offices of Ken Smith, LLC’s pool of applicants when hiring is always so strong it makes it difficult to pick the best fit, but Ken tries to match their experience and interests to the firm’s clients’ needs. Using law clerks as an example, Ken’s alma mater is just up the hill from his office, so there is a supply of bright and talented law clerks less than a mile away. He finds that teachers and staff are often interested and willing to help their students find an opportunity to further their experiences and the law firm promises to do just that. Not only is the law industry changing, but Ken Smith’s firm has become far more digital in 2021 than in 2019 due to COVID. This is helpful as the firm works with the Courts and counsel to emerge from a prodigious backlog in the system. It allows a lawyer to swap from Zoom call to other video conference for a client meeting or hearing without the costs and time consumed by travel. However, technology does have its limits, and the courts have done a very good job in realising where an in-person hearing cannot be avoided. For the firm, the biggest upcoming challenge will be staying ahead of the curve as it is finally able to open the doors on jury trials. Those waiting on dispute resolutions will be hungry for access to the jury. It can be difficult to triage which must go first and who has priority. That is especially true because every client has a legal need requiring to be attended to. That process will also include monitoring the condition and health of the firm’s clients, especially those in custody. Access to clients in jails, etc. is much more limited now, and the firm has to rely on the client to let it know when they are unwell. If the pandemic has taught lawyers anything, it’s that being aware of clients’ conditions and health is paramount to being able to proceed in their case. Ultimately, bad things sometimes happen to good people. And the legal process has never been characterised as a “fun” experience. However, helping good people through tough times builds a relationship, and watching that relationship grow is very satisfying. Then, when things are over and done with, having a happy and grateful client is just the icing on the cake. Company: The Law Offices of Ken Smith, LLC Contact: Ken Smith Website: www.kenrsmithlaw.com 1 | L l Elit A r 2 F Mar21503