Preston Smith is a Senior Associate in the firm's White Collar Defense & Investigations practice. Mr. Smith's experience includes representing executives and companies in investigations concerning antitrust matters, criminal cases, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, and other issues conducted by federal and state agencies and regulatory bodies, as well as foreign prosecutors. He has also conducted several internal investigations and advised clients on compliance issues.
Mr. Smith also has significant litigation experience. He has participated in several federal trials, including examining witness and motions practice. Mr. Smith's practice also frequently includes commercial litigation, in matters involving contractual disputes, RICO, and environmental torts. Mr. Smith has also advised many clients in various business-related transactions.
Mr. Smith maintains an active pro bono practice, ranging from representing criminal defendants in federal and state court, defending voting rights, and protecting immigrant workers. Mr. Smith also spent eight months as a Loaned Associate with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia where he worked in the Housing Law group and regularly appeared in court to fight for his clients' ability to secure and maintain safe housing.
Mr. Smith graduated, cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law. Following law school, Mr. Smith clerked for the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Mr. Smith is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he double majored in Business Administration and Political Science.
Experience
- Global automotive parts manufacturer in DOJ antitrust investigation into alleged price fixing and bid rigging in the automotive parts industry.
- Sales executive of pharmaceutical manufacturer as counsel in criminal antitrust investigation by DOJ and civil investigations by several state attorneys general.
- General counsel of global telecommunications conglomerate in FCPA investigation by DOJ and SEC and anti-corruption investigation by Dutch and Norwegian authorities.
- Johnson Controls (several entities) in successful federal trial defense against nearly $16 million in claimed damages related to project at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Also successful on nonpayment counterclaim, with client awarded over $6 million in damages.
- Young Yi, CEO of First Class Sleep Diagnostics in a federal jury trial involving charges of healthcare fraud and tax evasion.
Perspectives
Credentials
Education
- J.D., American University, Washington College of Law, 2013, cum laude
- B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Virginia
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, The Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee
- Superior Court of the District of Columbia, The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston