Russell J. Smith
Partner
Phone
Russell J. Smith specializes in fiduciary litigation, including probate matters, guardianships, conservatorships, will contests, actions to remove personal representatives and trustees, and complaints in equity. Additionally, Russell has been appointed by the Probate and Family Court as a fiduciary in contested matters, including as conservator and personal representative. At the request of certain clients, Russell also handles domestic relations matters.
Before entering private practice, Russell served for two years as a law clerk to Probate and Family Court judges in both western and eastern counties of the Commonwealth. His experience working closely with judges on a wide range of cases informs his advocacy.
Russell is a past President of the Boston College Law School Veterans’ Association. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marines as a Sergeant.
Honors & Awards
Massachusetts Super Lawyers, “Rising Star,” 2018, 2020-2023
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
JD, Boston College Law School
BA, University of California, Berkeley
Experience
- Represented court-appointed personal representative of an estate in multi-pronged litigation brought by a beneficiary.
- Represented a minor beneficiary of a trust in a trustee removal action, resulting in an offer to voluntarily resign and appoint the mother of the minor beneficiary as successor trustee.
- Represented wife in a divorce; successfully obtained an order for husband to vacate the marital home and negotiated a settlement that negated the parties’ prenuptial agreement and provided wife greater financial security.
- Represented client in adoption of a minor by step-parent, which enabled the minor to secure dual U.S. and E.U. citizenship.
- Represented client in a contentious divorce and negotiated a divorce agreement, which protected their recent inheritance as sole property.
- Represented client in a contentious divorce and negotiated a divorce agreement, which protected their recent inheritance as sole property.
- Board of Directors, MA Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
- Member, Boston Bar Association
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Member, Massachusetts Audubon Society
- Member, The Trustees of Reservations
Seminars
- Panelist, "Challenging Blended Families: The Intersection of Trust Administration and Fiduciary Litigation When Two Families Become One," Boston Bar Association Webinar, 2023
