Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, a full-service business law firm with offices throughout New York, announced that attorney Sheldon K. Smith has joined the firm as a partner. Smith joins Harter Secrest & Emery from the Buffalo office of Nixon Peabody LLP, where he has practiced for the last 11 years in the firm’s litigation group.
“We are excited to welcome Sheldon to our partnership as we continue our firm’s dynamic growth in Buffalo and throughout upstate New York,” said Craig S. Wittlin, Harter Secrest & Emery Managing Partner. “Sheldon’s extensive experience at the trial and appellate levels is an exceptional complement to our top-ranked litigation practice.”
Smith has distinguished himself as a litigator who handles high-stakes, often high-profile business disputes, representing clients in several industries in federal and state courts and before arbitration tribunals. He handles complex contract, valuation, trade secret, and other matters for financial institutions, health care providers, manufacturers, energy companies, real estate developers, and construction companies, among others.
Smith was recently recognized in Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers in Business for Commercial Litigation, and has been selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list in the areas of Healthcare and Litigation. He has also received several awards for his work supporting professional diversity initiatives and inner-city communities. A graduate of the University at Buffalo, he earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University at Buffalo Law School.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for me,” Smith said. “Harter Secrest & Emery is recognized annually by corporate clients for providing top-notch legal services across several industries. I look forward to working with an exceptional group of people and being part of Harter Secrest & Emery’s tremendous professional culture.”
In addition to his legal practice, Smith is an active supporter of several community and professional organizations. He is a member of the boards of directors of Catholic Health and the National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York; is an active member of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, the Rochester Black Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the National Bar Association; and is an appointed member to the Attorney Advisory Group to the New York Federal and State Judicial Council.
“Sheldon’s passion for his practice, fierce advocacy for his clients, and dedication to bettering the world around him make him an ideal fit for Harter Secrest & Emery,” added John G. Horn, partner in charge of Harter Secrest & Emery’s Buffalo office.
Harter Secrest & Emery’s litigation attorneys represent clients on a wide range of matters including high-stakes commercial disputes, intellectual property litigation, insurance-coverage disputes, employment and ERISA litigation, privacy and data security matters, government investigations, professional liability claims, construction disputes, and securities litigation. Harter Secrest & Emery’s litigation practice received a top-tier ranking from Chambers USA, and six of its litigators have been individually recognized by Chambers.
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