Elizabeth T. Smith

Elizabeth is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office with over thirty-five years of varied and broad experience in the courtroom, in complex discovery and before governmental administrative bodies.  Her practice includes business, commercial, contract, occupational disease, environmental and toxic torts, ethics, education, governance, medical marijuana and public law litigation.  She has had first chair trial experience in jury and bench trials in state and federal court.  Elizabeth has argued in various state appellate courts, the Ohio Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  She has a broad range of experience representing individuals, businesses of all sizes and universities and traditional and charter schools before the courts and regulatory bodies.  Her varied experience has allowed her to develop specific insight for the handling of regulatory litigation and is a “go to” lawyer for issues involving state government.

Career highlights include:

• Over 30 years of trial and litigation experience in various types of jury trials and injunction hearings including involving business, contract and commercial disputes, extended litigation in several forums brought by family trust beneficiaries, employment discrimination, asbestos exposure and occupational disease litigation, including national representation of Fortune 200 manufacturing company in connection with its occupational disease claims, working with national expert witnesses from the medical, epidemiological and industrial hygiene fields throughout the country and in various forums
• Appointment as the Chief Counsel to Ohio Attorney General James Petro from 2003 to 2005 and involvement in daily strategy, policy decision making and leadership of 100+ lawyers and 13,000 cases on a variety of matters involving the State of Ohio, its agencies and universities, and pension funds including, issues relating to securities litigation, constitutional issues, unions, taxation, transportation, workers' compensation, the state budget, state and national elections, public records, ethics, open meetings and corporate governance, general tort litigation
• Representation of various businesses in regulatory litigation with the state including successful resolution of “Bet the Company” litigation against the Ohio Department of Medicaid in regard to a Home Healthcare Government Audit, “Bet the Company” litigation involving a medical marijuana cultivator licensee in court and against the Ohio Medical Marijuana Program and successful representation of individuals and government entities before the Ohio Ethics Commission the Ohio Elections Commission, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Commerce.
• Successful negotiation of settlements for several significant investigatory actions on behalf of national chains brought by the Consumer Protection Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and participation in successful litigation and settlement of international class action involving allegations about offshore working conditions

• Leadership in various aspects of litigation and regulatory actions involving Ohio’s charter schools, including leading the first effort of a nongovernment charter school sponsor to take over the operations of a failing school and to bring it to a successful closure, working with the Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Auditor of State
• Representation as special counsel to the Ohio Attorney General for Ohio’s public universities in regard to various state and federal regulatory issues, including successful negotiations with the United States Department of Justice in regard to accessibility issues
• Representation of the Ohioans Against Marijuana Monopolies PAC (Issue 3) in the 2015 election, including representation before the Ohio Ballot Board, participation in debates before professional organizations and The Columbus Metropolitan Club, spearheading an amicus brief in the Ohio Supreme Court for the PAC to defeat Issue 3, and subsequent representation of provisional licensees in the marijuana industry before the courts
• Representation of and advice to various businesses in regard to issues involved with Ohio’s new Medical Marijuana and Hemp Programs
• Appointed by Ohio’s U.S. Senators to four Bi-Partisan Judicial Advisory Commissions for the Selection of Federal District Judges in Ohio and service in 2017 as chair of the commission

Elizabeth is a member the Federal Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Columbus Bar Association, the Ohio Women’s Bar Association, the Women Lawyers of Franklin County, the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys (OACTA).  Elizabeth has been named an Ohio Super Lawyer, as one of The Best Lawyers in America and as a Top Lawyer in Columbus.  In addition, she was recently appointed to the Columbus Bar Association’s Professional Ethics Committee.

Elizabeth has been a speaker at the Ohio Attorney General’s Trial Advocacy Program on various aspects of trial presentation, at professional organizations in regard to career development for women, and most recently to healthcare organizations and employers regarding legal issues in regard to the legalization of marijuana.

Elizabeth received her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and her B.A. magna cum laude from Heidelberg College.  She completed McGill University’s Intensive Summer French Program in 1979.

Honors & Recognitions

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, 2022

Ohio Super Lawyers, General Litigation, 2013-2022

The Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants 2013-2024

Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2015, 2017-2021

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated

Recognition for pro bono work as Magistrate for the City of Gahanna, 1993-1995

Columbus’s Outstanding "40 Under 40," 1997

Fellow of the Columbus Bar Foundation since 1994

Professional & Community Activities

Women Suffrage Centennial Commission Member, appointed 2019 by Ohio Secretary of State

Columbus Bar Association (CBA) Professional Ethics Committee, appointed 2018 to present

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO), Executive Committee, Trustee Member, 2014 to present

Heidelberg University Board of Trustees, 1999 to present, Trusteeship Committee, Chair, 2004-2006; Secretary, 2006-2015

Franklin County Republican Central Committee, 1996 to present, Judicial Screening Committee, Chair, 2001-2018; Parliamentarian, 2002 to present

Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Advisory Board, 2010-2015; Board of Directors, 2015-2016

Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys (OACTA), Board of Trustees, 2014 to present; Chair, Annual Meeting, 2014; Vice President, 2023

C.U.R.E., Development Board, 2005-2008

Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, Board of Directors, 2004-2008

Federal Bar Association, Vice-President, 2002-2003; President 2003-2004

Alternative Education Council, Ohio Attorney General Designee, 2003-2005

Judicial Screening Committee for Ohio Supreme Court for the Ohio Republican Party, 2004

Ohio State Bar Association, Federal Court and Practice Committee, Chair, 1997-1999

Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Board of Commissioners, 1997-2002

ARC Industries, President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer during term of service from 1995-2002

Franklin County Republican Judicial Salute Committees, Vice-Chair, 1993-1994; Chair, 1995