Mr. Smith represents businesses in their cross-border disputes with companies and foreign governments. He has over a decade of experience representing clients in international disputes, as well as arbitration agreement and award enforcement litigation matters in United States courts. Mr. Smith also has significant experience representing investors in disputes with governments relating to cross-border investments. His practice spans a variety of industries, including the renewable energy, pharmaceutical, intellectual property, automotive, nuclear power, insurance, oil and gas, and mining sectors.

From May 2022 to January 2024, Mr. Smith was Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (AtlAS). In January 2024, AtlAS’s Board of Directors elected Mr. Smith to the position of Secretary of the organization. Mr. Smith also has been on the AtlAS Board of Directors since May 2022.

Since 2021, Mr. Smith has been a Regional Representative for North America of the International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitration & ADR Forum. He also coached the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team at the University of Georgia School of Law from 2016 to 2019.

Mr. Smith regularly speaks at international arbitration and cross-border disputes conferences. Most recently, Mr. Smith chaired the 12th Annual Atlanta International Arbitration Society Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 2-4, 2023, and the 11th ITA-IEL-ICC Joint Conference on International Energy Arbitration Young Roundtable, held in Houston, Texas, on January 19, 2023.

Chris also frequently publishes on international arbitration matters, including on recent developments in U.S. courts that affect arbitration practice.

While Mr. Smith currently is based in Smith, Gambrell & Russell’s headquarters in Atlanta, he previously has worked in Paris, France; Zurich, Switzerland; and Cologne, Germany. Mr. Smith is fluent in German and has represented dozens of German, Swiss, and Austrian clients in arbitration disputes. He also has significant experience representing South Korean businesses in international arbitration and U.S. litigation matters.

Prior to joining Smith, Gambrell & Russell, Mr. Smith worked in the International Arbitration Practice of a major international law firm, and in the International Arbitration Practice of a large Swiss law firm.

Mr. Smith earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he graduated cum laude. While in law school, Mr. Smith was a member of the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team. He also was the Training Chair of the Negotiation Competition Team, where he and a teammate won First Place in the 2012 Robert R. Merhige, Jr. National Environmental Negotiation Competition at the University of Richmond School of Law. Mr. Smith also was a Submissions Editor of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Furman University, where he graduated magna cum laude. Mr. Smith is a member of the Georgia Bar.