Attorney Tristan Smith
Tristan Smith is Senior Counsel at the law firm of Mainetti & Mainetti, P.C. Tristan brings his 15 years of experience in personal injury litigation and trial practice to Mainetti & Mainetti P.C. Tristan has taken over 30 Supreme Court jury trial verdicts with a strong record of success.
Tristan grew up in Dutchess County before moving to Delaware County during high school. He went on to graduate from Dickinson College in 2007 with two degrees, one in Political Science and another in Psychology. A 2010 graduate of Pace Law School, Tristan
Prior to joining Mainetti & Mainetti P.C. Tristan worked for Allstate Insurance, representing negligent homeowners and drivers and in 2017, he went to McCabe & Mack, LLP in Poughkeepsie, where he expanded to representing commercial property owners, employers, and drivers. In 2022, he went to Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, where he was elevated to Partner after again expanding his experience to defending catastrophic injuries such as amputations and traumatic brain injuries, institutions and schools in sexual abuse cases, contractors in Labor Law construction site accidents and some of the biggest trucking companies in the United States.
He achieves his record of success by taking each case from day one and treating it as though it is going to be tried in front of a jury – being mindful of what he needs to win and making sure it is built into the case. Tristan’s practice philosophy is that when you take this approach and build a strong case for trial from day one, not only do you increase the likelihood of a favorable verdict, but the case often settles as the other side realizes and wants to resolve. However, if the settlement talks fall through, then Tristan is ready for trial. Tristan is also recognized by his peers for his professional excellence and high ethical standing with Martindale-Hubbell’s award of AV Preeminent.
After years of working with insurance adjusters and self-insured commercial clients, Tristan brings firsthand insight into how defense counsel and their adjusters/clients try to devalue a case to keep money in their own pockets, what their negotiation and trial tactics are, and perhaps most importantly, the driving factors behind their valuations of claims. Tristan now uses this expertise and insight to ensure that those who injure others are held accountable and to maximize the possible compensation for his injured clients.