Biography

Pete Smith’s practice consists primarily of business litigation, commercial transactions, bankruptcy, financial restructuring, and labor and employment law. He is a skilled litigator and adept problem-solver who handles a wide variety of complex business and financial matters.

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Pete Smith’s practice consists primarily of business litigation, commercial transactions, bankruptcy, financial restructuring, and labor and employment law. He is a skilled litigator and adept problem-solver who handles a wide variety of complex business and financial matters.

In addition to understanding the law, Mr. Smith has hands-on experience with how businesses actually work, owning several banks and co-founding Electronic Processing, Inc. (EPI), a computer firm that provided data processing services in every United States Bankruptcy Court in the nation (1964-1983).

Mr. Smith also serves as the firm’s Chairman, leads several of the firm’s practice groups and is a frequent lecturer and speaker to creditor, banking, and accounting groups and to lawyers.

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Education

University of Missouri at Kansas City (J.D., 1970, magna cum laude, Order of Bench and Robe, Editor-in-chief, UMKC Law Review)

University of Kansas (B.S., 1967, magna cum laude, Accounting, Beta Gamma Sigma, Business School International Honor Society)


Bar Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Kansas

Recognitions

Best of the Best Attorneys 2023 Recognized by Best Lawyers 2023 Rated by Super Lawyers 2023

Distinctions

Distinction selection information

The Missouri Bar “Senior Counselor” Status – Achieved in 2020
Ingram’s 250 Most Powerful and Influential Business Leaders: Included on list 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Best Divorce Lawyers in Kansas City, 2020
Selected to Serve as 2017-2018 Campaign Chair of United Way of Wyandotte County
Dean of The Trial Bar
Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy
Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Selected as Best of the Bar by The Kansas City Business Journal, 2003, 2007, 2008
Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2005 to the present
Easy Lawyer: R. Pete Smith
Best Lawyers in America, 1987 to present
AV® Preeminent™ Rated by Martindale Hubbell
Legal Industry Outlook: Ingram’s 2015

Memberships

  • American Association for Justice
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Kansas Bar Association
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Community

  • Midwest Innocence Project Kansas City (Past President)
  • Kansas City Kansas Area Chamber of Commerce (former Chair, Board of Directors
  • Kansas City Area Economic Development Council
  • United Way
  • YMCA
  • American Red Cross, Wyandotte County chapter (Member and Board of Directors)

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