Jim Smith Named Chief of Strategic Alliances by Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh

Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, LLC (SGS) has announced that James T. Smith Jr. has left the firm to take on the role of Chief of Strategic Alliances in newly elected Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh’s administration.

Jim Smith initially joined SGS in 2011 after spending eight years as Baltimore County Executive. In May 2013, Smith left the firm temporarily when he was appointed to serve as Maryland Secretary of Transportation.

Smith returned to the firm in March 2015 to serve as “of Counsel,” assisting in complex litigation and business matters, administrative law, land use and governmental affairs. He has been a well-respected adviser to SGS’s 13 attorneys, including his son, Michael Paul Smith.

“Everyone at Smith, Gildea & Schmidt is excited for Jim to start this new chapter of his career with the Pugh administration,” said David K. Gildea, Managing Partner of SGS. “While we will all miss his wisdom and advice, we are proud that he has been appointed to this position in the City government and we are confident that he will do great things for Baltimore.”

A lifelong resident of Baltimore County, Smith has dedicated much of his personal and professional life to public service. In addition to his positions as County Executive and MDOT Secretary, Smith served 16 years as a Judge on the Circuit Court, the highest general trial court in Maryland. Prior to his judgeship, Smith served seven years on the Baltimore County Council and for two years was Council Chair.

Smith graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law and has served on various boards and organizations including the University of Maryland Medical System, St. Joseph Medical Center, Shock Trauma, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Towson University and Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. He also most recently served as the Executive in Residence with University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy.

About Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, LLC

Smith, Gildea & Schmidt is a regional law firm with 13 lawyers whose practice areas include complex civil litigation, land use, business law, estates and trusts, governmental affairs, and domestic relations, among others. The firm’s clients range from multinational corporations to individuals with particular legal needs. The land use attorneys have an active practice that encompasses most of the jurisdictions in the state of Maryland. The complex civil litigation section has vast courtroom experience in both the federal and state courts.