Todd has been practicing law for 26 years. He attended the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill graduating in 1999. Before practicing law, he managed a jewelry store and built utility and custom built trailers. After graduating from law school he worked as a Law Clerk for a Bankruptcy Judge in Charlotte for one year. He then started a law practice that has transformed multiple times into what is today; The Smith Giles law firm.
Legal representation has included several practice areas, including personal injury, wrongful death, family law, collections, real estate, bankruptcy, juvenile and general civil litigation. Notable wins include 2 seven figure civil settlements (when including the structured settlements) with the Smith Giles team just last year. However, he is best known for his work handling criminal cases in both State and Federal Court. In that capacity, he has handled thousands and thousands of misdemeanor cases including DWI’s, assaults, drug/paraphernalia, traffic cases, domestic cases, trespassing, etc. It is estimated that he has tried hundreds of bench trials before multiple Judges.
Todd has handled hundreds and hundreds of felony cases as well. Conducting an estimated 200 jury trials in various Courts, he has wide experience handling felony charges. Approximately 50 cases which started out as first degree murders (first death penalty trial to verdict was conducted in 2001), assaults, arson, drug cases of every kind, sex related offenses, misdemenaor appeals and every other type of crime charged as a felony, in several different Courts across the State. His record of wins is impressive.
Todd regularly practices in the following Federal Courts; Middle District of North Carolina, Eastern District of North Carolina and Western District of North Carollina. He has also handled matters in the District of South Carolina. He regularly defends gun/weapon offenses, high level drug charges, illegal reentry cases and financial cases before these Courts. Todd has tried dozens of cases in Federal Court, and won several, to a jury verdict. This is particularly impressive as the Federal Government has a very high percentage rate of winning their cases. Todd has been certified as an expert in North Carolina State Criminal Law and in Federal Criminal Law by the NC State Bar since 2010. A very low percentage of North Carolina lawyers share this distinction.
Todd also regularly handles Appeals in the Fourth Court of Appeals, the North Carollina Court of Appeals and is admitted to the United States Supreme Court. He is particularly proud of penning two published appeals in North Carolina that define rights regarding Bond Forfeitures. He also handles post conviction matters such as Motions for Appropriate Relief in State Court and §2255 motions in Federal Court, as well as other motions such as Sex Offender Registry removals, returns of gun rights, Expunctions, etc.
In his spare time he utilizes his contractor’s license repairing and improving his home/office and loves spending time with his children, guiding and encouraging their amazing growth.
