Maxwell D. Smith is a Member in WHT’s Lexington office, and has defended hundreds of matters on behalf of insurance carriers, businesses and individuals. His experience includes defense verdicts as lead trial counsel for complex, large exposure personal injury cases on behalf of business owners, including a recent wrongful death jury trial in which the estate sought $60,000,000 in damages. Max has been listed as a Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2019, and continues to grow his practice across Kentucky and Indiana.
Practice Areas
- Appellate Practice
- Automobile Litigation
- Bad Faith Defense and Extra Contractual
- Commercial Transactions and Contracts
- Construction Law
- Fire and Casualty
- Governmental and Municipal Liability
- Insurance Defense and Coverage
- Mass Torts
- Medical Negligence Defense
- Premises Liability
- Products Liability
- Trucking, Transportation and Freight
Awards and Honors
“Kentucky Rising Star” by Super Lawyers®, 2019-2022
Scholar of Merit: Sports Law, Cumberland School of Law, Fall 2014
Scholar of Merit: Mediator Practice, Cumberland School of Law, Spring 2015
Memberships
Kentucky Bar Association
Fayette County Bar Association
Indiana State Bar Association
Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
Admitted to Practice
Kentucky, 2016
Indiana, 2016
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, 2016
U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, 2016
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 2016
Professional Leadership
KBA Young Lawyer Civil Litigation Liaison
Education
Juris Doctorate, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, 2015
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Georgetown College, 2012
Community
Leadership Lexington Class of 2021
Easter Seals Cardinal Hill Junior Board
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass: Fiscal Services Committee
Immanuel Baptist Church: Member
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
Hometown
Representative Cases
Bradley v. Louisville Mega Cavern, LLC, 2021: Defense verdict in a wrongful death jury trial in which the estate alleged that negligence on the part of the premises owner caused the decedent’s death. The estate sought $60,000,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.