Cameron Smith

Cameron A. Smith is a partner in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s New York office. His practice focuses on representing management in complex employment litigation and arbitration, and includes the defense of class, collective, and multi-plaintiff actions arising under the ADEA, Title VII, FLSA, ADA, and all manner of state and local statutes affecting employers.

Mr. Smith has worked in-house for a global financial services company and regularly counsels clients about various laws affecting the employment relationship, including compensation agreements and disputes, protecting confidential business information, severance agreements, and progressive discipline of employees.

Mr. Smith represents clients in many different industries, but has extensive experience counseling and defending financial services firms and technology companies. He has also conducted highly sensitive internal investigations, including investigations involving senior executives, at international financial services institutions.

Mr. Smith is also an experienced trial attorney. Recently, after a six-day jury trial in the Eastern District of New York, he won a complete defense victory for a national retailer on claims including religious discrimination, hostile work environment, discrimination, and retaliation.

Mr. Smith has a proven record of success in resolving cases short of trial as well, including through motions to dismiss, summary judgment, mediation and informal settlement discussions. He recently secured a complete walk-away for a Fortune 25 client, which included the voluntary and with prejudice dismissal of all claims in a multi-plaintiff case on the eve of trial.

Mr. Smith has successfully obtained summary judgment dismissing age discrimination and retaliation claims against a major Wall Street investment bank; argued and won an appeal before the New York Appellate Division dismissing breach of contract and New York Labor Law claims brought by a managing director of a large investment bank; and successfully defended before the Second and Third Circuit Courts of Appeals complete summary judgment victories for the employer on discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims.

Prior to joining Seyfarth, Mr. Smith was a commercial litigator at another large international law firm, where he represented individuals and corporate clients in a wide variety of commercial disputes in federal and state courts as well as in criminal and federal regulatory investigations. His practice involved trade secret misappropriation, breach of indemnification and non-compete agreements, assignment of patents and related intellectual property, securities, contract, fraudulent conveyance, tort and insurance matters.

In 2015, Mr. Smith was named one of the “Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40” by the National LGBT Bar Association. He is also a member of the firm’s New York Diversity Action Team and actively participates in pro bono work. He has obtained DNA testing of newly discovered evidence on behalf of an inmate incarcerated in Virginia. He serves on the Board of Directors of the New York LGBT Bar Association.

Education:

• J.D., New York University School of Law (2006)
  • Staff Editor, Review of Law and Social Change
• M.P.A., Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government (2006)
• B.A., Brown University (2000)

Courts:

• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit