Carol Z. Smith

Shareholder/Director

csmith@dysarttaylor.com                         Legal Assistant: Diane Kennedy
816-714-3043                                             816-714-3044
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“Excellent courtroom presence – always prepared. Excellent attorney.”

Bio

Carol Smith is an experienced litigator, committed to obtaining great results for her clients. Carol is a well-known thought leader in matters involving surety, fidelity and construction claims. She also regularly helps clients with claims on financial institution bonds and commercial crime policies. In addition, Carol reviews and negotiates construction contracts and pursues recovery of losses from responsible parties in the construction and fidelity context.

Carol is active in the ABA TIPS Fidelity and Surety Law Committee.  She was a co-editor of Bond Default Manual, 4th Ed. and a contributing author to, among others, The Surety’s Indemnity Agreement: Law and Practice, 2nd Ed., The Contract Bond Surety’s Subrogation Rights, Managing and Litigating the Complex Surety Case, 3rd Ed., and Annotated Commercial Crime Insurance Policy, 3rd Ed. She sits on the board of directors of the Surety Claims Institute and is a regular speaker on various topics in the industry.

Thirty years into practice, Carol works with some of the largest surety and fidelity underwriters in the country. Taking a collaborative approach, Carol strives to ensure her work is in the best interest of her clients and the industry as a whole.

 

Experience

  • Represents surety clients in a variety of claim situations, litigation and arbitration
  • Analyzes and defends claims on financial institution bonds and commercial crime policies
  • Handles claims on court fiduciary, public officials, bankruptcy trustee, supersedes and subdivision bonds
  • Defends construction defect cases
  • Reviews and negotiates construction contracts

Experienced In:

Activities

PROFESSIONAL
  • American Bar Association
    • Fidelity & Surety Law Committee
      • Chair Elect, 2021-2022
      • Vice-Chair 2009-2014 and 2018-2020
      • Co-Chair, Communications Division 2015-2018
      • Co-Chair, Membership Committee 2018-2020
  • Surety Claims Institute
    • Board of Directors, 2018-2020
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
    • Construction Law Committee
  • Johnson County Bar Association
  • Kansas Bar Association
  • The Missouri Bar Association

 

EDUCATION
  • University of Kansas School of Law, J.D., 1987
  • University of Kansas, B.A., 1984
HONORS
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2022-present
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2006-present
 

 

700 W. 47 Street, Suite 410
Kansas City, MO 64112

Phone: 816.931.2700
Fax: 816.931.7377

  

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