Christopher D. Smith

Partner Christopher Smith focuses his practice in the area of complex civil litigation, including appeals, class actions and mass torts, commercial litigation and product liability litigation. In his practice, he has helped clients navigate complex cases ranging from early motions practice to discovery disputes to appellate proceedings. He has handled several cases before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia including matters related to sensitive election law and complex class action issues.

Prior to practicing law, Christopher served in LifeBridge AmeriCorps, a West Virginia-based branch of the national service organization. During his time with AmeriCorps, he worked on initiatives that provided healthy food for local food banks, created tax assistance programs for low-income families, and increased overall volunteer involvement in West Virginia non-profit organizations. Chris continues his community involvement through work with organizations such as the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network.

Awards & Accolades

Super Lawyers Rising Star, West Virginia, Appellate, 2023

Best Lawyers' Ones to Watch, Charleston, West Virginia (2023-2025):

• Appellate Practice
• Commercial Litigation
• Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
• Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs

Clerkships

• Law Clerk, Hon. Joseph R. Goodwin, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (2016-2017)

Government Service / Previous Employment

• AmeriCorps (2012 - 2013)

Representative Matters

• Part of trial team representing Citynet LLC, which reached a $17.750 million settlement on behalf of the United States with Frontier and other individual defendants in a lengthy qui tam matter. For more visit here. 
• Part of trial team that obtained a verdict on behalf of Ramaco Resources Inc. of approximately $32.7 million against Chubb-related insurance companies for breach of contract in a denial of insurance coverage case. The trial court subsequently reduced the verdict, but it was substantially reinstated by the Court of Appeals.

• Represented a Justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in challenging impeachment proceedings by drafting a petition for writ of mandamus challenging those proceedings. After issuance of a writ in the client’s favor, drafted a brief in opposition to a petition for writ of certiorari at the Supreme Court of the United States challenging issuance of the writ. 
• Represented a hospital in challenging class certification in a consumer class action by formulating and drafting a petition for writ of prohibition challenging class certification. 
• Obtained a favorable settlement for a city in an insurance coverage dispute matter after the carrier sought to deny coverage based on lack of notice.
• Prevailed on an appeal where the opposing party argued that they were entitled to an additional $4 million in damages under an indemnification clause.
• Obtained two summary judgment rulings in a contract dispute that entitled the client to its defense costs and dismissed an opposing party’s indemnification claim.
• Succeeded in obtaining a ruling setting aside a verdict in excess of $1 million in a loan-related dispute.
• Obtained an order unsealing a decades-old opioid case that the manufacturer wrongly sealed on behalf of a media company making a documentary on the opioid epidemic.
• Represented a West Virginia government entity in responding to a senatorial candidate’s attempts to place himself on the ballot as a third-party candidate after losing in another party’s primary election, culminating in responding to the candidate’s petition for writ of mandamus before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

News & Insights

Selected Publications

• “A Beginner’s Guide to Interlocutory Appeals in West Virginia,” Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Notebook of Articles, Summer 2019
• “Dios, No Patrias, Libertad: The Dominican Republic’s Unfolding Human Rights Crisis,” Oxford Human Rights Hub, October 2015