Bio
Christopher J. Smith is a Trial Attorney with Brown & Barron, where he focuses on representing families who have suffered from nursing home abuse and neglect. Chris brings more than 16 years of litigation experience to his practice. He serves as the firm’s Nursing Home Litigation Chair and manages one of the firm’s nursing home litigation teams.
Chris began his career as a prosecutor, where he spent nearly a decade representing victims and handling serious felony cases, including homicides, sexual offenses, domestic violence, robberies, and other complex criminal matters. This experience provided him with extensive courtroom exposure, a deep understanding of evidentiary rules, and a trial-ready approach that continues to inform his civil practice.
Following his service as a prosecutor, Chris joined a Baltimore-based civil defense firm, where he litigated thousands of cases throughout Maryland involving complex accidental injury and occupational disease litigation. This defense background gives him valuable insight into how institutional defendants evaluate risk, prepare experts, and defend high-exposure cases—knowledge he now uses to advocate effectively for injured residents and their families.
Chris earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Association for Justice.
Education
- Univeristy of Maryland. College Park, B.S.
- University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D.