About me
Leading a team of attorneys, examiners, and investigators, Ms. Smith defends the rights of Californians through the investigation and prosecution of violations of state laws and regulations. Some of her biggest wins include multimillion-dollar civil judgments for securities fraud. An expert witness, she has been called to provide testimony on security law as part of the prosecution of white-collar crime.
Ms. Smith has built a distinguished career in public service. After earning her law degree at the University of Miami School of Law, she served as a Public Defender for Broward County where she defended those accused of crimes that carried potential life sentences. She left the Public Defenders Office to join the Office of the Attorney General as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. In this role, she successfully filed civil actions using the state's Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices Act (UDAAP) to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act, anti-discrimination laws, and voting laws. Including a case that led to a national settlement against Household Finance settling claims of predatory lending.
In 2004 she was recruited by the State of California Department of Corporations as Corporations Counsel. She performed complex litigation and negotiations and secured significant settlements for civil actions including a securities fraud case resulting in an award of $17.8 million in restitution to victims. Since 2012 she has served as the Deputy Commissioner for the State of California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (fka Department of Business Oversight/Department of Corporations). She currently leads efforts to protect consumers through policy development, the creation of consumer education materials, and litigation.
Committed to sharing her expertise and knowledge with other members of her profession, she has taken on several volunteer positions. Currently, she serves on the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Enforcement Section where she assists in identifying trends and developments related to violations of the securities laws and coordinate multijurisdictional enforcement efforts. She also served for 16 years on the NASAA Investor Education Section, Alerts and Advisories Project Group, where she drafted educational materials on new and emerging products in the securities industry.
Ms. Smith earned her bachelor's and law degrees at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida. She passed the California Bar in 2004, and the Florida Bar in 1997.