Todd Smith

Todd Smith dedicates his practice to serving as mediator in litigated and non-litigated matters with an emphasis on employment disputes including claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, whistleblower and retaliation, as well as wage and hour class actions and PAGA actions.

Smith began practicing law as an associate in the employment law department of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. Later he formed the legal partnership of Helmer • Smith, which represented individual and business clients in various civil rights, intellectual property, personal injury and business matters with a particular focus on litigating employment disputes. He has experience litigating in both state and federal court, and has resolved scores of cases via trial, arbitration and mediation, including a $1.9 million judgment in an age discrimination suit upheld by the California Supreme Court.

Smith is a proud distinguished fellow of the International Academy of Mediators. He has received mediation training on both coasts — including Pepperdine’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution on the West and Linda Singer and Michael Lewis on the East. He served as co-chair of both the San Fernando Valley Bar Association ADR Section and Beverly Hills Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section.

In addition to his mediation practice, Smith has spent more than a decade teaching employment law in the Los Angeles area as an adjunct professor. Smith has taught at both UCLA Law School and Southwestern Law School where in 2010, he proudly received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Student Bar Association. He is a passionate supporter of mediation as a dispute resolution technique and frequently serves as a guest speaker regarding employment mediation at various law school, bar association and other trade organization events. 

FACULTY IN THE NEWS

Los Angeles Times
August 16, 2019
Re: Niels W. Frenzen

Neils W. Frenzen was quoted on California suing the Trump administration over a new rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who receive public assistance. “Beyond that, the likelihood of prevailing on the merits of one or more of the specific legal challenges is high, at least before the District Court and before the 9th Circuit. After that, we enter the more politicized world of the Supreme Court and what may happen becomes less clear,” said Frenzen, director of the USC Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic.

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP

Dorothy S. Lund
June, 2019

"Toward a Mission Statement for Mutual Funds in Shareholder Litigation," National Business Law Scholars Conference, Berkeley School of Law, Berkeley, CA.

Daniel Klerman
June, 2019

“Forum Selling Abroad,” Comparative Law Work-In-Progress Workshop, University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, IL.

Emily Ryo
June, 2019

Emily Ryo was honored with an appreciation award from Senator Kamala Harris for her outstanding commitment to providing legal assistance to immigrant communities and to her research and work on immigration.