Mr. Smith is a shareholder and president of Wheeler Upham, P.C. He practices primarily in the areas of employment law, civil litigation, postal contracts and leases, and business law. He has extensive litigation experience in these areas and has appeared before federal district courts, courts of appeal, bankruptcy courts, boards of contract appeal, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit System Protection Board, and state courts and administrative agencies.

Mr. Smith has successfully assisted clients with document drafting, discrimination claims, disability and Family Medical Leave Act compliance issues, federal disability retirement claims, federal workers’ compensation or OWCP claims, and employee handbook questions.  He has successfully represented clients in postal contract disputes, including being the first to obtain a decision awarding a landlord a holdover premium against the U.S. Postal Service.  Mr. Smith’s litigation experience enables him to spot issues and propose solutions for his business clients, thereby saving them time and money by avoiding and addressing legal issues before problems arise.

Mr. Smith has been recognized by his peers to be featured in The Best Lawyers in America in both the practice area of Litigation – Labor and Employment and the practice area of Employment Law – Individual.   He was named a “Go-To” Lawyer for employment law in 2024 and 2025 by Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly and to its “Go-To” Lawyers Power List for 2024.  He was the 2014 and 2016 chair of the Grand Rapids Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section.

Prior to joining Wheeler Upham, Mr. Smith was in-house counsel with the U.S. Postal Service, where he handled some of its most complex litigation involving personal injury, construction claims, leasing issues, and contract disputes. He has unique expertise in federal sector employment law and represents employees of federal agencies in many forums. Mr. Smith handles litigation against the federal government that other attorneys shy away from, including claims arising under the various civil rights laws, the Federal Torts Claim Act, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Contract Disputes Act.