Mary-Kate Smith

Mary-Kate Smith is an employee rights advocate representing individuals in all aspects of employment-related claims before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.  She has represented clients in cases involving wrongful discharge, discrimination, sexual, racial and other forms of unlawful harassment, hostile work environment, defamation, breach of contract, whistleblowing activity and wage and hour violations.   She also advises clients with respect to employment, severance, termination, and non-competition agreements.  In addition, Ms. Smith handles personal injury and civil rights claims.  She is admitted to the bars of Connecticut, New York, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Before joining the Law of Office of Lewis Chimes LLC, Ms. Smith was a civil litigator at a well-established Stamford based firm, where for over ten years she litigated in a variety of areas including employment-related matters, land use appeals, business and contract disputes, personal injury claims, civil rights matters, and commercial and residential leases.

Ms. Smith is a 2004 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law (with Honors).  She received her master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder (2001) and her bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University (Cum Laude, 1998).  During law school, she advocated for civil liberties at the Office of the Community Lawyer in Winsted, CT and received recognition for her service in the Asylum and Human Rights clinic representing refugees seeking political asylum in the United States.  After law school, Ms. Smith served as law clerk to the Honorable Thomas A. Bishop of the Connecticut Appellate Court. 

Ms. Smith is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, the Connecticut Bar Association, and the Fairfield County Bar Association.  Ms. Smith served as co-chair of the Employment Law Committee of the Fairfield County Bar Association, is the immediate past chair of the CTLA Women’s Caucus and serves on the board for the Women’s Mentoring Network, a career and personal advancement non-profit organization that helps to empower women in need. Ms. Smith also serves on the board for the Fairfield County Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Fairfield County Bar Association.