Richardson Plowden Attorneys at Law - Franklin J. Smith, Jr.

Contact | Disclaimer

ATTORNEY HIGHLIGHTS

A former intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, shareholder Eugene H. Matthews is a certified mediator, arbitrator, and specialist in employment and labor law by South Carolina Supreme Court.

Shareholder Steven W. Hamm served as the state consumer advocate and administrator of the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs for more than twelve years, representing the public before the South Carolina General Assembly and state and federal agencies.

Shareholder S. Nelson Weston, Jr., is a certified specialist in debtor/creditor law and bankruptcy law by the South Carolina Supreme Court.

Shareholder Leslie A. Cotter, Jr., is a certified mediator and arbitrator by the South Carolina Supreme Court.

Franklin J. Smith, Jr.

Download vCard

Office
1900 Barnwell Street
Columbia, SC 29201

P.O. Drawer 7788
Columbia, SC 29202

Contact Details
Direct: 803.576.3724
Fax: 803.779.0016
Email: fsmith@RichardsonPlowden.com

Practice Areas
Construction Law
Federal Contract Law
Fidelity/Surety Law
Insurance Defense
Professional Malpractice

Education
United States Military Academy (1975-77)
Clemson University (B.S., Civil Engineering, cum laude, 1979)
University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1984)

Bar Admissions
1984, South Carolina

Other Professional
Past Chair, Construction Section, South Carolina Bar
Richland County Bar Association
Member, Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Division of the Forum on the Construction Industry, American Bar Association
South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association
Panel member, National Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Construction Litigation.
Certified Mediator
Named South Carolina Super Lawyer in 2008

Franklin J. Smith, Jr., is a shareholder of Richardson Plowden in the Columbia office. His practice primarily focuses on construction law, including construction litigation, contract drafting and negotiation, claims resolution and avoidance, design professional malpractice, fidelity/surety law, coverage issues and insurance defense. A substantial part of Mr. Smith's practice involves mediation and arbitration on construction and business-related disputes. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Smith was a design engineer for Wilbur Smith & Associates.

Mr. Smith's experience includes:

Representing owners, contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers and other construction-related entities.
Handles a wide range of construction-related cases in litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution procedures.
Extensive experience in drafting custom construction contracts for all construction-related entities, as well as Dispute Review Board procedures for the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Frequent speaking engagements at seminars relating to public procurement, design build, construction manager at risk, mechanic's liens, architect/engineer liability and other related issues and alternative dispute resolution procedures.

Mr. Smith attended the United States Military Academy from 1975 to 1977. He graduated cum laude from Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1979. He completed his juris doctor at the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1984.

As a member of the American Bar Association, he participates in Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Division of the Forum on the Construction Industry. He also serves on the National Panel of Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association. He is past chair of the Construction Section of the South Carolina Bar and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is recognized in Best Lawyers in America for construction litigation.