Damian Smith is a litigation paralegal in Ball Janik’s Construction Defect practice group at the firm’s Orlando office.   Ms. Smith assists Ball Janik’s attorneys on behalf of owners of properties, including townhome and condominium communities, in all phases of prosecuting construction defect claims, from inception through discovery and trial. 

Ms. Smith began her legal career over 20 years ago in New York City working for several world-renowned law firms in areas of business law, corporate litigation, and complex, commercial litigation, including assisting the Chief Counsel to the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) Trustee for the global liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS), one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.  

In 2012, when Ms. Smith and her family first moved to Florida, she was an Exceptional Student Education teacher for students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities for Seminole County.   In 2014, and prior to joining Ball Janik, she joined one of Florida’s oldest and most-respected defense firms, where she worked as the lead paralegal in the area of insurance defense representing one of Florida’s largest insurance providers.  There, Ms. Smith aided in defending bad-faith insurance litigation, insurance coverage disputes, automobile repair litigation, class actions, malicious prosecution litigation, and general commercial litigation.  Ms. Smith has extensive experience aiding attorneys in litigating cases in state and federal courts in Florida.

In her free time, as an epicure, Ms. Smith enjoys trying new foods and spending time with her three children and their dog, Mando the doglorian.  

EDUCATION

• B. S., cum laude, Major in Psychology, Minor in Child Development, 2011, Kaplan University  
• A.A.S., Business Administration, 2009, Kaplan University

CERTIFICATIONS

• Florida Registered Paralegal with The Florida Bar
• Notary Public of The State of Florida