Partner

Los Angeles

Direct: 213.891.5061

Office: 213.891.0700

bsmith@buchalter.com

Bar Admissions

California, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Tax Court

Overview

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Barry A. Smith is a Partner and a member of the Financial Law Institutions Industry Group. Mr. Smith has extensive experience in business and commercial litigation, creditors’ rights, real estate, loan workouts and restructuring, provisional remedies, receiverships, collections, and post-judgment enforcement. He also handles complex business and defense litigation including tort, contract law, and real estate.

Mr. Smith is a member and a frequent speaker of the California Bankers Association. Mr. Smith is a frequent speaker on creditor’s rights, enforcement of judgments, prejudgment remedies, workouts and turnarounds, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, business and banking fraud, arbitration, toxic waste, lender liability, legal ethics, probate estates and trusts, and collection strategy and tactics. He speaks at numerous seminars and conferences including the California Independent Bankers, Risk Management Association, Special Asset Managers Association, National Association of Chinese American Bankers, Western Bankers Association, Western Independent Bankers Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Associations, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

In 2024, Mr. Smith received the “2024 Robert Frandzel Award” from the California Bankers Association, an honor given annually to California’s top banking counsel. Additionally, Mr. Smith was named to the 2025 Top 50 Lawyers in America list. For over 40 consecutive years, Barry Smith has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible peer rating for legal ability and ethical standards. He has been recognized among the Best of the Best Top 1% of America’s Lawyers and as America’s Most Honored Professional by The American Registry since 2017. Since 2013, American Lawyer Media, in collaboration with Martindale-Hubbell, has consistently recognized him as a Southern California Top Rated Lawyer and a Top Rated Lawyer in Bank & Finance and Commercial Litigation, with features in Corporate Counsel and the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Smith plays an active role in his community, serving as an active member of a number of associations including the Board of Governors for the City of Hope, Bank Operations Counsel Association, the Financial Lawyers Conference, the Western Bankers Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Los Angeles Business Trial Lawyers Association, and the California Bank Counsel.  Mr. Smith is also a part of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section as well as the Provisional and Post-Judgment Section. Additionally, Mr. Smith is a member of the  International Bankers Association, the Independent Bankers of California, the National Association of Chinese-American Bankers, the Risk Management Association, the Credit Managers Association and the Southern California Mortgage Association. Mr. Smith has experience as a Professor of Law teaching courses on trial tactics and litigation techniques. He is named one of “Who’s Who in Banking and Finance” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Presentations

  • Podcast guest, “Getting Ready for the Other Shoe to Drop,” Preserving Your Collateral
  • Speaker, “The Workout and/or Settlement Agreement-Twenty Five Must Have but Often Forgotten Provisions,” Western Bankers Association 2021 Lenders & Chief Credit Officers Conference in Dana Point, CA
  • Speaker, “The Workout and/or Settlement Agreement-Twenty Five Must Have but Often Forgotten Provisions,” Western Bankers Association 2022 Annual Conference
  • Speaker, 2023 Bank Presidents Seminar in Laguna Beach, CA
  • Speaker, Risk Management Association Lunch & Learn
  • Co-speaker, “The SAFE Banking Act: High Hopes for the Cannabis Industry,” Inland Empire Risk Management Association Webinar
  • Speaker, “A Brave New World – New Laws That Change the Playing Field for Real Estate Lenders” Western Bankers Association Bank Counsel Virtual Seminar
  • Speaker, “Anatomy of a Workout,” Bank Special Assets & Credit Officer’s Forum in Dana Point, California
  • Speaker, “The Workout, Modification, Forbearance, and/or Settlement Agreement – 28 must have but often forgotten provisions,” Risk Management Association Webinar
  • Speaker, “The Workout and/or Settlement Agreement-Twenty Five Must Have but Often Forgotten Provisions,” Western Bankers Association Annual Conference 
  • Co-speaker, “How to Identify Potential Problem Loans in your Loans Portfolio,” Risk Management Association’s Lunch & Learn in Los Angeles, CA
  • Speaker, “The Loan from Hell,”  Western Banker’s Lenders and Chief Creditor Officers Conference in Dana Point, CA
  • Speaker, “Navigating Uncertain Times Through Prudent Workouts, Accommodations and Thorough Documentation,” Western Banker’s Bank Counsel Conference in Las Vegas, NV
  • Moderator, “Lenders under Attack – The Good, the Bad and The Ugly,” Western Banker’s Bank Counsel Conference in Las Vegas, NV
  • Speaker, “Real Estate Loan Workouts,” Annual California Bankers Association Bank Counsel Conference in Las Vegas, NV
  • Speaker, “Bankers Under Attack – An Overview of Recent and Proposed Legislation and Current Litigation,” Annual California Bankers Association Bank Counsel Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
  • Speaker, “Anatomy of a Workout,” Western Bankers Association Lenders and Chief Credit Officers Annual Conference in Dana Point CA
  • Speaker, “Prejudgment and Post Judgment Remedies and Alternatives,” Special Assets Management Association Conference in Ojai, CA
  • Speaker, “Early Warning Signs of a Troubled Loan,” East West Bank, Los Angeles Office
  • Speaker, “Anatomy of a Workout: Is There A New Playbook?” Commercial Finance Conference of California; Special Assets Management Association
  • Speaker, “The Commercial Real Estate Loan Workout – Strategies for Minimizing Losses,” REOMAC Commercial Real Estate Summit
  • Speaker, “Post-Judgment Remedies and Alternatives,” Los Angeles Bar Inn of Court
  • Speaker, “Thinking Outside the Box – Effective Recovery Tactics,” Special Asset Management Conference in Ojai, CA
  • Speaker, “The Real World: Case History of Resolutions by Portfolio Lenders,” Trigild Lender Conference in San Diego, CA
  • Speaker, “The Most Interesting Loan I Ever Litigated,” Risk Management Association Luncheon at the Palm Restaurant in Los Angeles
  • Speaker, “Prejudgment and Postjudgment Remedies and Alternatives,” Special Assets Management Association’s Annual Conference in Santa Barbara, CA
  • Speaker, “Hot Topics for Special Assets,” Special Asset Management Association Annual Convention in Ojai, CA
  • Speaker, “The C&I Loan- Strategies and Alternatives When the Other Shoe Drops,” Western Independent Bankers Annual Conference in Scottsdale, AZ
  • Co-Speaker, “In-Depth Review of a Guarantor’s Personal Financial Condition,” Buchalter Nemer Teleseminar
  • Moderator, “How to Prevent Fraud,” Special Asset Management Association
  • Co-speaker, “Pre and Post Judgment Alternatives and Remedies,” California Credit Union League
  • Speaker, “Leading the Industry: Best Practices in Community Banking,” SAMA
  • Speaker, “When Good Loans Go Bad,” RMA
  • Speaker, “The Ten Do’s and Don’t’s in Commercial Lending,” California Independent Banker
  • Speaker, “Business Loan Hot Topics,” the Credit Union Executive Society
  • Panelist, “The Non-Performing CRE Loan,” the Special Assets Management Association Annual Convention in Carlsbad, CA
  • Speaker, “Mortgage Fraud,” Credit Union League LA Chapter in Monterey Park

Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

  • Creditors Rights
  • Commercial & Consumer Collections
  • CRE, C&I, ABL & SBA Litigation
  • Workouts and Restructuring
  • Real Estate Litigation
  • Defense Litigation
  • Operations
  • Financial Services – Regulatory
  • Collateral Recovery

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