Gregory K. Smith

Counsel / Atlanta | Washington, DC

Gregory (Greg) K. Smith is Counsel in the Construction and Government Contracts Practices at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.

  • Full Bio

    Greg practices in all areas of construction law, government procurement, and contract law.  His practice consists of dispute resolution and litigation, counseling in contracting issues, counseling in all areas of government procurement, and the drafting, structuring and review of construction and other contracts.  Greg advises businesses in a wide range of legal, compliance, and strategic issues.

    » Project Construction Counseling

    Greg graduated, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  He graduated with a J.D., cum laude, from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.  While at Mercer, Mr. Smith served as the Editor in Chief of the Mercer Law Review.  He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association, and the Atlanta Bar Association.

    Greg has written and edited several presentations and papers related to dispute resolution, construction contracting, and construction fraud in the construction industry.  He is a frequent speaker at seminars related to the construction industry.

    Greg serves on the steering committee for the International Construction Division of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law.  He is also a member of the Construction Lawyers Society of America.

    Prior to practicing law, Mr. Smith served in the United States Navy.

  • Representative Experience

    » Project Construction Counseling

    • Represented a Dutch EPC contractor in an LCIA arbitration, arising out of a force majeure dispute related to an oil refinery in Kurdistan.
    • Represented a Colombian coal mine owner with claims related to delay, warranty issues, and liquidated damages in an ICC arbitration with a German materials supplier.
    • Drafted architectural agreements, construction agreements, and other service contracts for construction projects in diverse industries and projects valued from $25,000 to over $1 billion.
    • Represented a German transportation company in a successful bid protest involving a U.S. Department of Defense contract.
    • Represented an international EPC contractor in disputes in Latin America with a state-owned oil company arising out of the design, fabrication, seafastening and commissioning of three offshore petroleum platforms.
    • Represented Dutch energy company in negotiations for contract amendments with German equipment supplier on Brazilian energy project.
    • Represented global supplier of cellulose specialties products in a dispute with international design-build contractor related to a cellulose specialties plant conversion.
    • Represented a leading refiner, distributor and marketer of fuels in a dispute with EPC contractor regarding the massive expansion of a refinery.
    • Represented a Fortune 50 company in litigation in London, England with an international EPCM contractor arising out of construction and process defects in a state of the art soft drink concentrate manufacturing facility in Europe.
    • Represented a large European bank in claims brought by developers, general contractors, subcontractors, and others in connection with commercial developments.
    • Represented the developer in disputes arising out of the construction of a luxury hotel and condominium project in the British West Indies.
    • Represented a global mining company in a multi-million dollar dispute arising out of the engineering and construction of a $1 billion copper mining facility located in the Andes Mountains of Chile.
    • Represented a large contractor in its dispute with a subcontractor arising out of the construction of two natural gas processing plants in Texas.
    • Represented of a large school district pursuing claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and State RICO violations against a program management firm hired to manage the district’s $1 billion construction program.
    • Counseled a large distributor of healthcare products and services regarding federal procurements under non-competitive bid regulations.
    • Represented a multi-national provider of identification systems in defense of government bid protest.
    • Counseled an international diversified technology company regarding procurement processes for government purchases under the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
    • Represented a global firearms manufacturer in a protest with governmental entities.
    • Counseled an international aircraft manufacturer regarding sales of aircraft to United States Department of Defense.
    • Counseled a worldwide manufacturer of electrical products and tools and hardware on issues regarding contracting and subcontracting under federal statutes and regulations.
    • Represented a national government contractor on multiple projects in negotiations and disputes with the federal government over contract terms, claims relating to unpaid contract amounts, delay and disruption issues, and contract change issues.
    • Counseled a national prescription drug provider in potential dispute with the federal government.
    • Counseled a leading national provider of healthcare services to state and local government agencies regarding issues related to state procurement laws.
    • Represented regional construction contractor in dispute with federal government regarding small business set-aside issues.
    • Advised on government contract issues for $1 billion merger of international healthcare technology corporation and leading provider of outsourcing services to hospital-affiliated physicians.
    • Counseled on issues related to Small Business Administration and minority contractor issues.
    • Counseled on procurement matters and the interplay between non-profit organizations and municipal corporations.
    • Reviewed proposed federal government contracts for international nuclear power organization.
    • Represented a multi-national distribution facilitator in trial over numerous issues of ownership and conversion of property.
    • Represented a multi-national cement manufacturer in trial arising out of disagreements regarding real estate.

  • Bar Admissions

    Georgia
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
    U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
    U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

  • Education

    Undergraduate
    • Georgia State University

    Law School
    • Mercer University

  • Memberships

    American Bar Association
    State Bar of Georgia
    Atlanta Bar Association
    Construction Lawyers Society of America

  • Recognitions


    Super Lawyer, 2014-2019 – Construction Litigation
    Georgia Trend magazine's Legal Elite, 2015-2018
    Rising Star, 2010 – Construction Litigation
    Construction Lawyers Society of America, Charter Fellow

  • Publications


    “Toward an Understanding of Willful Misconduct in International Construction Contracts,” The Construction Lawyer (Journal of ABA Forum on Construction Law), Vol. 39, No. 2 (May 2019)

    “Issues and Solution in International Construction Contracting,” The American Journal of Construction Arbitration & ADR, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2018)

    “Substantial Completion – A Contractor’s Perspective,” Underground Connection, April 2018, at 14

    “Nuances of Fraud – A Legal Perspective,” Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute Best Practices Workshop, Dallas, Texas (November 2017)

    “Emerging Technologies in the Practice of Law,” Developments in Electronic Filing, Legal Research, and Document Review, Atlanta Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia (February 2017)

    “Issues and Solutions in International Construction Contracting,” The Construction Lawyer, Volume 36, Number 4 (Fall 2016)

    “Fundamentals of Construction Law – Learning from the Pros,” moderator, ABA Forum on the Construction Law, Atlanta, Georgia (November 2016)

    “Managing Risks on Energy Projects: Here and Away,” moderator, ABA Forum on the Construction Law fall meeting, Chicago, Illinois (October 2016)

    “Construction in Argentina and LatAm: Making the Deal Happen, The Time Has Come: Investing in Argentina’s Infrastructure and Energy Sectors,” Buenos Aires, Argentina (June 2016)

    “Protection Through Project Documents,” Lawyer Roundtable: Practical Answers to Common Legal Problems, Georgia Construction Finance Conference, Atlanta, Georgia (May 2016)

    “What Does Fraud Look Like in a Construction Project?,” National Association of Construction Auditors, Orlando, Florida (March 2016)

    “Construction Fraud:  A Bigger Problem Than You Think,” National Association of Construction Auditors, Las Vegas, Nevada (March 2015)

    “Construction Audit & Cost Control Best Practices Roundtable Workshop,” Construction Audit and Cost Control Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada (December 2014)

    Contributing author, The Annotated Construction Law Glossary, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry (2010)

    “Let’s Finish This – Getting the Project to Final Completion,” Developments, August 2010, at 56.

    “Ask the Experts,” Developments, July 2010, at 65.

    “Construction Delivery Methods,” Developments, June 2010, at 50 (quoted in article).

    “Construction & Design: Outlook for the Industry,” Developments, January 2010, at 60.

    “Substantial Completion – An Owner’s Perspective,” Developments, October 2009, at 47.

    “Substantial Completion – An Owner’s Perspective,” Developments, October 2009, at 47.

    “Construction Defects: Water Intrusion & Other Calamities,” The Seminar Group, Atlanta, Georgia (July 2006 and July 2007)

    “Paralegal Litigation Skills – Federal Courts and Procedure,” Half-Moon Seminars, Atlanta, Georgia (April 2006)

    “Advanced Construction Management / Design-Build,” Lorman Education Services Seminar, Atlanta, Georgia (November 2005)

    “Construction Management / Design-Build in Texas,” Lorman Education Services Seminar, Houston, Texas (November 2003 and December 2004)

  • Other Publications