Senior Associate Jacob C. Smith Joins Firm’s Trust & Estate Litigation Practice

April 22, 2022

Downey Brand is delighted to welcome senior associate Jacob C. Smith to the firm’s trust & estate litigation practice.

Jake joins the firm from the California Department of Managed Health Care, where he worked as a licensing attorney. Prior to this position, Jake spent five years honing his expertise as a trusts & estates attorney representing clients in litigation, trust administration and probate, estate planning, and conservatorships. A Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate & Trust law, Jake continues to apply his knowledge and experience to his current practice as a trust and estate litigator, helping clients achieve the right result tailored to their situation.

Before entering the legal field, Jake served in the United States Army as a special operations interrogator and human intelligence collector, where he was awarded two Bronze Star medals for meritorious service in Afghanistan. Jake is also a guest faculty member at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he has lectured on Elder Law and Social Policy since 2014.

In addition to teaching at McGeorge, Jake received his J.D. from there as well. Prior to law school, he earned an A.A. with honors in Spanish from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and his B.A. in political science at the University of California at Davis.