Michele Smith Shareholder Beaumont t: 409.835.5011 ext. 436 f: 409.835.5177 MicheleSmith@mehaffyweber.com V-card

Michele is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has been a shareholder with the firm since 1999 and currently serves on the firm's Management Committee. She is an advocate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Houston Chapter.

Areas of Concentration
General civil litigation, toxic tort, and products liability

Licenses
State of Texas
United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Education and Bar Admissions
Michele graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting. In 1992, she received her law degree from Baylor University School of Law. While attending Baylor, she was a member of the Order of the Barristers.

Memberships and Honors
Michele is an active member of the Jefferson County Bar Association and currently serves as President of the Jefferson County Bar Association. She served as President of the Jefferson County Young Lawyers' Association in 2000-2001 and was named the Jefferson County Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year for 2002. She actively volunteers her time to the Pro Bono Program. Michele is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, serving as the chair of the Judicial, Legislative, and Governmental Affairs Committee. Michele also serves on the Executive Committee as Treasurer for the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. Michele received the TADC President's Award in 2010. She is a member of the Defense Research Institute and the State Bar of Texas. She is also a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Michele was recognized by Law & Politics as a "Texas Rising Star" in 2005 and a Texas Super Lawyer® from 2005 to 2010. In addition, she received recognition as:

• "Top 100" Texas Super Lawyers®, 2010
• "Top 50" Female Super Lawyers®, 2007, 2009 to 2010
• "Top 100" Houston Region Super Lawyers®, 2007 to 2010
• Texas Super Lawyers®, Corporate Counsel Edition" in Civil Litigation Defense in 2008 to 2010.

Michele was also named by H Texas magazine as a "2007-2009 "Top Lawyer" in Houston."

"AV" Peer Review Rated® by Martindale-Hubbell

Activities
Michele serves on numerous boards of civic and charitable organizations. She is a Past President of the Junior League of Beaumont, and the Jefferson County Bar Association Auxiliary. Currently, she serves on the Alumni Board of Monsignor Kelly High School, and the Boards of The Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Shorkey Center, Lamar University Foundation and Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School. She received The Athena Award from the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce in 2008 and was named Sustainer of the Year by the Junior League of Beaumont in 2011.

Representative Experience
During her career, Michele Smith has represented defendants in numerous state and federal courts. Her trial work includes representation of businesses in medical malpractice, pharmaceutical defense, premises liability and employment-related litigation, including non-subscribers. Michele is also experienced in representing a variety of businesses in sophisticated mass tort causes of action involving numerous chemical substances and exposures. She has also been on the coordinating team for the statewide defense of several clients.

She represents several Fortune 500 companies as regional counsel in claims involving toxic substances and products liability.

• Obtained defense verdict in asbestos-related lung cancer case in which plaintiffs argued for $5,000,000 in damages

• Obtained summary judgment in multi-million dollar premise accident pending in Jefferson County, Texas

• Obtained favorable appellate result in nursing home case.