EDUCATION
B.A. (1992)
J.D. (1995)
ADMISSIONS
AREAS OF FOCUS
ASSOCIATIONS
Mr. Smelser is a civil litigator and trial attorney with expertise in product liability, toxic tort, negligence and business litigation. Licensed to practice in California and Hawaii, he has successfully defended the interests of some of the largest corporations in the world in virtually all aspects of litigation. He has also defended mass tort claims filed in federal and state courts.
In product liability litigation, Mr. Smelser has defended the design, manufacture and performance of a diverse range of products. Some of those products include motor vehicles, heavy trucks, tires, automotive friction products, ball bearings, construction equipment, industrial machinery, power generators, and recreational equipment. He has recently coordinated and executed a nationwide effort by an automobile manufacturer to defend, negotiate, and settle hundreds of pending lawsuits and claims throughout the United States with respect to a nationwide recall. His published opinion is Aldaba v. Michelin North America, Inc. (2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37934).
Mr. Smelser has lectured on numerous topics including jury selection, defending and mediating cases that involve an automotive recall, trial techniques for effective litigators, and defending a product's liability case from start to finish.
Mr. Smelser was born and raised in Southern California, and graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree in political science and a bachelor's degree in History in 1992. In 1995, he graduated from Loyola Law School in 1995. Prior to joining Yukevich Calfo and Cavanaugh, his practice focused on the defense of scuba diving equipment manufacturers and business litigation.
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