T. Mark Smith was born in Bakersfield, California. His family has longtime roots in Kem County agriculture and government. Mr. Smith graduated from a local Bakersfield high school before attending Claremont McKenna College from which he graduated, magna cum laude, in 1988. Mr. Smith completed his formal education by attending U.C.L.A. School of Law from which he received his Juris Doctorate in 1992. During his third year of law school, Mr. Smith served as a judicial extern for Judge Edward Rafeedie of the U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
After graduating from U.C.L.A., Mr. Smith practiced in the Los Angeles office of the national law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal before returning to his hometown and beginning his practice with Clifford & Brown in 2000. After serving as a partner and shareholder of Clifford & Brown, in 2019 Mr. Smith founded Zimmer & Melton, LLP with several of his colleagues. He is a member of the California Bar. For the last several years, he has served on the board of directors of the Kem County Bar Association. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Kern County Law Library, the board of directors of the Kern County Bar Association Charitable Foundation, and the board of directors of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of California, Southern Division.
Mr. Smith's practice has focused on complex business litigation including construction, labor and employment, health care, CEQA, appellate, agricultural and water rights matters. He has represented numerous public entities including school districts, the county of Kern, city of Bakersfield, and public and private healthcare entities. He also has extensive trial and federal court experience.
In addition to his professional endeavors, Mr. Smith has served on the board of directors of Trinity Anglican Church and the Bakersfield Museum of Art. He is also active in his sons' Boy Scouts of America troop.
Related Services: Business Litigation; Water Law; Agriculture & Farming
Admissions
State Bar of California
United States District Court, Eastern District of California
United States District Court, Central District of California
United States District Court, Northern District of California
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Education
J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1992
B.A., Claremont Mckenna College, 1988
Professional Affiliations
Kern County Bar Association Board of Directors
Kern County Law Library Board of Trustees
Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of California, Southern Division, Board of Directors
Kern County Bar Association Charitable Foundation Board of Directors