Carol Z. Smith
Shareholder/Director
csmith@dysarttaylor.com Legal Assistant: Diane Kennedy
816-714-3043 816-714-3044
Vcard
“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 surety 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.; Annotated Commercial Crime Insurance Policy, 3rd Ed.; The Financial Institution Bond and Commercial Crime Policy-Principles and Annotation; and Modern Fidelity Claim Deskbook. She sits on the board of directors of the Surety Claims Institute and is a Co-Chair of the SCI Educational Program.
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 and litigates a wide variety of commercial bond claims
Experienced In:
- Surety Claims
- Fidelity Claims
- Commercial Bond Claims
Activities
PROFESSIONAL
- American Bar Association
- Fidelity & Surety Law Committee
- Chair, 2022-2023
- Fidelity & Surety Law Committee
- Surety Claims Institute
- Board of Directors, 2018-2026
- Education Program Co-Chair. 2025-2026
- 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.
- University of Kansas, B.A.
HONORS
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
- Best Lawyers, 2022-present
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2006-present
SEMINARS / PUBLICATIONS
- “Computer Fraud: An Old Coverage—Now in the Spotlight,” chapter author in Modern Fidelity Claim Deskbook: Understanding the Impact of Technology, September 2025.


