Ken Smith practices in O’Hagan Meyer’s Maryland office. A civil litigator for over 30 years, the bulk of his time has been devoted to the defense of design professionals. He holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale Hubbell. In addition to providing malpractice litigation defense, he prepares and negotiates contracts and provides risk mitigation advice for his clients.

Ken has litigated, tried cases, and handled appellate matters in each of the jurisdictions in which he practices. While he has concentrated on the defense of design professionals, he has experience in premises liability, automobile accident, products liability, insurance coverage, food poisoning, asbestos cases, and even one McDonald’s “hot coffee” case.

Ken spent seven years as the in-house Lead Claims Counsel for Baltimore Gas & Electric Company, (“BGE”). There, he oversaw cases from investigation through trial, handled portions of crisis response, as well as advised management on risk mitigation strategies. His experience with utility issues began before his stint with BGE, providing defense and counsel to underground utility locating companies, and continued after his return to private practice with work on revisions to the Maryland “Miss Utility” law and membership on the Defense Research Institute’s Public Utilities Task Force. Ken was BGE’s representative to the Southeastern Electric Exchange Claims Committee, where he also served as Secretary, Vice Chair and Chair, (at different times).

Ken’s devotion to the design professional community extends to ensuring his son graduation from the University of Maryland School of Engineering with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Ken is an avid scuba diver, with Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit, Aquarium and Rescue Diver certifications.