Attorney Kenneth F. Smith, PLLC: (646) 450-9929
About Kenneth F. Smith
I began my legal career as a prosecutor at the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, where I prosecuted hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases. I learned the system from the inside — how the government builds its cases, what evidence prosecutors rely on, where the weaknesses are, and how decisions get made long before anyone walks into a courtroom.
When I left the DA's office, I brought all of that knowledge to the defense table.
I founded the Law Offices of Kenneth F. Smith, PLLC in 2013. In the years since, I have defended thousands of people facing criminal charges in New York and New Jersey — from desk appearance tickets to federal felonies. I have tried cases to verdict, won acquittals on charges that looked unwinnable, and fought for dismissals on speedy trial grounds that most defense attorneys never track closely enough.
I also represent people whose constitutional rights have been violated by law enforcement. I bring Section 1983 civil rights lawsuits against the NYPD and other government actors in federal court — SDNY and EDNY — for excessive force, false arrest, malicious prosecution, and racial profiling. Many of my clients face both a criminal charge and a civil rights violation at the same time. I handle both. They don't need two lawyers. They need the right one.
More recently, I have expanded my practice to represent entrepreneurs navigating New York's cannabis dispensary licensing process. The OCM regulatory framework is complex, actively in flux, and unforgiving of errors. My background — understanding how government agencies think and what they look for — translates directly to helping applicants get it right.
What I offer is simple: personal attention, hard work, and the kind of institutional knowledge that only comes from having sat on the other side of the table.
When you call, you get me.
CREDENTIALS
J.D., Brooklyn Law School — CALI Award, Trial Advocacy; CALI Award, Intellectual Property
B.M., Arizona State University
Former Prosecutor, Brooklyn District Attorney's Office
Licensed: New York and New Jersey
Admitted: U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (SDNY)
Admitted: U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (EDNY)
Admitted: U.S. Tax Court
Member: Association of New York Criminal Defense Attorneys
Member: Brooklyn Bar Association
Member: Kings County Criminal Bar Association
Member: National Police Accountability Project
Member: New Jersey Bar Association
What Clients Say:
"Kenneth Smith represented us in both the resulting criminal cases and our civil case against the NYPD. His hard work resulted in total dismissal of the criminal charges AND a positive resolution of the civil case. I couldn't recommend him more highly." — Brian
"I tried an attempted murder of a police officer case with Mr. Smith and we obtained an acquittal on the top charge. He is an exceptional trial attorney." — Scott
Free consultations for criminal defense, civil rights, and cannabis licensing matters.