A native Texan with a splash of California, Jim earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California School of Business in 1988 with an emphasis in real estate/finance. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier College School of Law in Costa Mesa, California in 1992, where he was awarded the American Board of Trial Advocates for Moot Court and Trial Advocacy. After law school, Jim returned to Houston where he became a shareholder in a Houston based litigation law firm. In early 2000, Jim opened a Houston office for a Louisiana based litigation law firm while simultaneously becoming General Counsel to a Houston based pipeline company via the Smith Law Firm.

In early 2007, Jim consolidated his legal representation into the Smith Law Firm where he practices law with an emphasis in business litigation, commercial and real estate transactions, product liability, toxic tort, and insurance defense. Licensed to practice law in the state of Texas, Jim is admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and all U.S. District Courts in Texas. He is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and the State Bar of Texas, as well as the Defense Research Institute and the American and Houston Bar Associations. As a way to give back to the community, Jim has volunteered his time as an attorney for the Harris County Child Protective Services and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Association.

Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rodney spent his high school years in Houston, Texas. After high school, he moved to Austin, Texas where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas. Following his undergraduate studies, he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in Oklahoma from the University of Tulsa where he served as Articles Editor of the Energy Law Journal and clerk for the Creek County, Oklahoma District Court. While earning his law degree, Rodney also visited Buenos Aires, Argentina where he studied international law at the Universidad de Palermo. Rodney is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the Galveston Bar Association, and the Texas Young Lawyers Association. His practice includes matters related to commercial transactions, transportation and construction litigation, premises liability, toxic tort, and product liability.

Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Michael was raised in Houston, Texas. In 1996, Michael received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia after which he spent a year teaching in Northern California. In 2001, Michael received his Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana where he won a school-wide appellate competition and was runner-up in a school-wide mock trial competition. He served on the Moot Court Board, was elected to the Order of the Barristers and was named Who’s Who Among American Law Students. Michael is licensed to practice law in the state of Texas and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas. He is also a member of the Houston Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and the Houston Young Lawyers Association, where he serves on the Civil Trial Academy Committee. In his spare time, Michael dedicates his time as a volunteer at Bo’s Place where he counsels children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.