Appellate lawyers with a sound reputation and broad expertise

Greg and Nolan have practiced appellate law for over 50 years combined. Using that experience, Smith Legal aims to marry the work product characterizing a large firm with the personal service and cost advantages of a small practice.

Besides handling appellate matters, Smith Legal regularly supports trial lawyers throughout Texas with summary-judgment filings, expert challenges, venue and jurisdiction challenges, post-judgment motions, jury-charge practice, and general error preservation.

Greg Smith

A Texas Super Lawyer and board certified in civil appeals, Greg has specialized in appellate practice since 1988. He has represented clients in well over 250 civil appellate proceedings, appearing in 13 Texas Courts of Appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, the en banc Federal Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. His practice bears the coveted AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell and he is a fellow of the invitation only Litigation Counsel of America.

Greg formerly chaired the Amicus Curiae Committee for the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, and he has been recognized by the Smith County Bar Association for legal service to the underprivileged.

Representations

Hundreds of appeals spanning personal injury, product liability, employment law, professional negligence, oil and gas, contract, real property, class-actions, and business-torts cases.

Over 50 mandamus proceedings, often on behalf of prominent regional, national, and multinational entities.

Trial consultations for error preservation, drafting of jury charges, Daubert motions, and post trial motions.

Nolan Smith

Nolan Smith has specialized in appellate law since graduating from SMU’s Dedman School of Law in 2011. During that time, he has worked on over 70 appeals, on matters ranging from personal injury to oil and gas, and breach of contract to employment law. Nolan has personally represented clients before the Tyler, Houston, and Dallas Courts of Appeals.

Nolan is a member of the Texas Bar Foundation and is a Past President of the Smith County Young Lawyers Association. He has also served on the board of the Smith County Bar Association and was a member of Leadership Tyler Class 27. He currently serves on the board of Heart of Tyler.

Sample Briefs

• Southern Cornerstone, Inc. v. Crown Colony Improvement Association, Inc.
• Traxcell Technologies v. Verizon Wireless Personal Communications, LP
• In re Brookshire
• Blacklands Railroad v. Charles Knighton
• American Piping Inspection, Inc. v. Ma-Tex Wire Rope Company, Inc.

Selected Reported Cases

• Landgraf v. USI Film Products, 511 U.S. 244 (1994)
• Kinney v. Weaver, 367 F.3d 337 (5th Cir.2004)(en banc)
• Patterson v. Mobil Oil Corp., 335 F.3d 476 (5th Cir. 2003)
• Farmers Tex. Cty. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Beasley, 598 S.W.3d 237 (Tex. 2020)
• Southwestern Energy Prod. Co. v. Helfand, 491 S.W.3d 699 (Tex. 2016)
• ERI Consulting Eng’rs, Inc. v. Swinnea, 318 S.W.3d 867 (Tex. 2010)
• In re E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., 136 S.W.3d 218 (Tex. 2004)
• In re E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co., 92 S.W.3d 517 (Tex. 2002)
• State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Whitehead, 988 S.W.2d 744 (Tex. 1999)
• Stuart v. Bayless, 964 S.W.2d 920 (Tex. 1998)
• In re Bella Corp., 648 S.W.3d 373 (Tex. App.–Tyler 2021)
• In re United Fire Lloyds, 578 S.W.3d 572 (Tex. App.–Tyler 2019)
• Orbison v. Ma-Tex Rope Corp., 553 S.W.3d 17 (Tex. App.–Texarkana 2018)
• May v. United Serv. Ass’n of America, 844 S.W.2d 666 (Tex. 1992)
• Healthcare Serv. Corp. v. East Texas Med. Ctr., 495 S.W.3d 333 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2016)
• Coghill v. Griffith, 358 S.W.3d 834 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2012)
• Thedford Crossing L.P. v. Tyler Rose Nursery, Inc., 306 S.W.3d 860 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2010)