Josh Smith

Josh Smith is a trial lawyer, one of the founders of Johnson Bakken Smith, P.C., and the Managing Partner of the firm. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, aviation matters, marijuana and hemp matters, catastrophic injury, products liability, construction defect, and insurance coverage/bad faith disputes.

Josh is licensed to practice in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, with additional admissions in Kentucky and Missouri, allowing him to represent clients across the western United States and beyond in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Smith is regularly entrusted with matters involving technically complex facts, high exposure, and aggressive theories of liability. He has resolved multiple aviation cases at the summary judgment stage on issues of causation, federal preemption, and duty, and reduced seven-figure demands to nominal settlements in instances where dispositive motions are not viable. Josh routinely secures substantial reductions in damages even in admitted-liability cases and has obtained defense verdicts in catastrophic injury cases where the claimed exposure was significant.

Clients and carriers frequently turn to Josh when a case is approaching trial and requires rapid mastery of complex issues, disciplined trial strategy, and credible courtroom execution. He is often brought in late to reset strategy, clean up inherited matters, and impose clarity on overstated theories and technical records. At the same time, when engaged early, Josh excels at pre-suit investigation and early motion practice that positions cases for dismissal or efficient resolution before unnecessary costs accrue.

Josh’s aviation practice is informed by extensive industry experience, regulatory fluency, and comfort working with highly technical records, maintenance histories, and expert testimony. He is known for his ability to cross technical experts effectively and translate complex regulatory and engineering concepts into clear, persuasive arguments for courts and juries. His insurance coverage work reflects a deep, practical understanding of policy language, exclusions, and conditions, grounded in sustained research, analysis, and real-world defense of carrier positions.

As the Managing Partner of the firm, Josh plays a central role in shaping litigation strategy, trial standards, and operational discipline, with an emphasis on credibility with courts, carriers, and opposing counsel alike.

Outside the practice of law, Josh enjoys spending time with his wife Blair and their sons Ezra and Sutton, traveling, scuba diving, and taking advantage of Colorado’s outdoor and cultural offerings.