Estate Planning, Elder Law and Special Needs Attorney

Michael H. Smith

Michael H. Smith graduated from Erskine College in 1993 with a BA in history. He then attended the University of Georgia School of Law, and graduated in 1996 with a Juris Doctor degree. He spent the 1st year of his legal career in Augusta, Georgia and then enticed by the thought of spending time at the beach, moved to Savannah in 1997. After practicing with different firms over the years, Mike founded Smith Barid, LLC with his partner, Richard Barid, in November 2006 to focus on estate planning, elder law and special needs planning.

Mike was selected as one of America's Techiest Lawyers in the April 2012 edition of the ABA Journal.  He was also selected as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2010 through a peer review process and was selected as a 40 Under 40 dynamic business leader in Savannah in 2009 by the readers and editors of The Business Report and Journal. Mike serves as an Ambassador for the Savannah Chamber of Commerce and is a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church.  Mike is a member of Wealth Counsel, Elder Counsel, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the National Care Planning Council, the Savannah Bar Association, the Savannah Estate Planning Council, the Greater Savannah Coalition on the Aging, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Fiduciary Law Section.  In 2011 Mike was named to the DocuBank National Advisory Board and served through 2012.  In 2012, Mike was elected to serve on the Board of the Georgia Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Greater Savannah Sports Council, and the Alzheimer's Association Coastal Georgia Chapter.

In addition to everything else, Mike is the creator of Smitty's Awesome Rib Rub and perhaps some of the finest barbecued spare ribs you've ever put in your mouth.  He competes on the Kansas City Barbecue Society circuit with the BBQ Craft team.  Mike says "The best barbecue in Savannah if you're not eating at my house is at Wiley's Championship Barbecue on Whitemarsh Island.  Be sure to order the brisket!"

Mike is a frequent lecturer on Estate Planning, Elder Law and Special Needs Planning, Veterans Aid and Attendance and Medicaid Planning in an effort to help the community gain awareness of the importance of proper estate planning, Smith Barid regularly holds free workshops focused on this topic.