Alice Chen Smith

Managing Partner

Alice Chen Smith is the Managing Partner of Yoka | Smith and is an experienced trial lawyer who has successfully tried many cases to verdict. Her primary focus is litigating catastrophic personal injury cases, products liability and business litigation matters.  She practices throughout the State of California in trial and appellate courts.  Her results-oriented work and civility has led to her selection as a Super Lawyers – Southern California Rising Star since 2012 and a Super Lawyer since 2022. She has also been recognized as a Leader of Influence: Minority Attorneys by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Alice was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) as a member of the Los Angeles Chapter in 2019, and currently serves as the Membership Co-Chair.  She is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC) and will be its President in 2026.  She has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) President's Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession since 2018.  Alice is also a Board Member with the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL).

Alice obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School.

Areas of Practice

  • Product Liability
  • Premises Liability
  • Business Litigation
  • Civil Litigation

Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • Super Lawyer, 2022-2023

  • Alice Chen Smith has just been included in the list of very impressive women determined to be Women of Influence: Attorneys by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

    The Los Angeles Business Journal received hundreds of nominations from which their publisher determined who was worthy of this honor.  To be included speaks volumes for Alice and the firm. The list, including Alice, will be published on April 18th by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

  • Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2012-2020
  • The Los Angeles Times recognizes Alice Chen Smith as a shortlisted nominee for the Inspirational Women Forum and Leadership Awards in acknowledgement of her noteworthy success and accomplishments during the last 24 months.
  • Walter M. Yoka, Christopher E. Faenza, Alice Chen Smith Recognized: 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America

    Product Liability, Catastrophic Injury, Class Action

  • Walter M. Yoka, Christopher E. Faenza and Alice Chen Smith selected as 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers
  • Walter M. Yoka, Christopher E. Faenza, Alice Chen Smith Recognized: 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America

    Walter Yoka, Christopher Faenza and Alice Chen Smith have been recognized in the 2nd edition of Lawdragon’s guide to the most elite courtroom advocates in the nation. Those selected represent the all-stars in commercial litigation, financial and securities matters, white collar and investigations, and IP, cybersecurity and data privacy.

    Honorees are selected through submissions,  journalistic research of the lawyers behind the biggest cases, and editorial vetting from a board of peers.

  • Walter M. Yoka, Christopher E. Faenza, Alice Chen Smith and Lauren A.R. Lofton Recognized by Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America

    Walter Yoka, Christopher Faenza, Alice Chen Smith and Lauren A.R. Lofton are among the all-star litigators selected for the the inaugural guide to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America.

    The guide is dedicated to those attorneys who excel representing principally corporations and other organizations in litigating claims involving Antitrust, Securities, Financial, M&A, Intellectual Property and Patents, Product Liability, Mass Tort, White Collar, Government Investigations and Energy disputes.

  • Alice Chen Smith badge 2023 Super Lawyers

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
  • Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC)
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL)
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA)
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association

News

Bar Admissions

  • California State Bar

Education

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California

  • J.D. - 2007

University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

  • B.A. - 2002
  • Major: International Studies

Languages

  • Mandarin Chinese
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