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Seslee Smith

Seslee S. Smith

Partner
Phone: 404.504.7673
Fax: 404.365.9532
sss@mmmlaw.com
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Seslee Smith is a Partner in MMM’s Insurance Coverage and Commercial Litigation practice. Seslee also serves as the firm’s General Counsel. Seslee focuses her practice on first-party and third-party commercial general liability (CGL), property, auto, E&O, and D&O insurance coverage matters and the defense of companies in complex litigation. A highly skilled attorney, Seslee has successfully litigated commercial disputes, products liability actions, insurance coverage disputes, and healthcare-related matters in federal and state courts, including jury trials, as well as before regulatory agencies, in arbitration proceedings and in courts of appeal. She currently serves as counsel to several national insurers in bad faith and breach of fiduciary duty litigation.

In addition to her role as GC, Seslee serves on MMM’s Management Committee, serves as ethics and professionalism counsel, and co-created MMM’s Women’s Initiative.

Representative Experience

  • Representing national insurer in multiple, high profile lawsuits alleging sex trafficking at various insured hotels, shaping insurance coverage case law throughout the country.
  • Representing insurer in one of the most significant insurance coverage matters ever made in the poultry processing industry involving highly technical mechanical and chemical engineering issues.
  • Prosecuting declaratory judgement action for nationwide insurer based on insured’s failure to cooperate and defending breach of fiduciary counterclaim.
  • Representing three automotive component part companies in defense of products liability alleging unintended acceleration.
  • National counsel defending multiple individuals and corporate entities in insurance company receivership action and coverage issue arising from allegations of malfeasance against directors and officers.
  • Successfully handled multi-district litigation alleging claims of pulmonary and neurological injuries following use of a spray grout sealant sold by large big box retailer.
  • Successfully opposed certification of multiple nationwide putative class action lawsuits arising out of big box retailer’s sale of chromated copper arsenate-treated wood, involving litigation of extensive jurisdictional and class cert issues and handling of complex insurance coverage issues with dozens of major insurance carriers, resulting in dismissal of class actions after defeat of certification.
  • Successfully obtained CON for MCG Health to build first new hospital in state of Georgia in more than a decade and successfully defended numerous appeals by Doctors Hospitals.
  • Successfully appealed denial of Certificate of Need for radiation therapy services and defended award of CON at Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court.
  • Successfully prosecuted breach of contract action against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia arising out of reimbursement disputes between provider and payor.
  • Successfully litigated for existing medical practice and physician owners underinsured medical malpractice claim and coverage disputes through appeals to Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court.
  • Successfully obtained grant of Certificate of Need for 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital through Petition for Judicial Review and appeal to Georgia Court of Appeals.
  • Served as co-lead counsel in this four-week trial, resulting in a complete defense verdict. This product liability case involved claims of a carpenter's alleged toxic exposure to arsenic and chromium from CCA pressure treated wood. This was one of dozens of CCA treated woods lawsuits filed against Home Depot, including several national class actions, successfully defended by Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP.
  • Served as co-lead counsel and obtained complete defense verdict after two-week trial involving alleged toxic exposure to CCA pressure treated wood.
  • Successful defense of putative national class actions involving CCA pressure treated wood product.
  • Served as co-lead counsel in these administrative matters, resulting in a successful adjudication of a licensure revocation proceeding for the client’s assisted living facilities.
  • Successfully appealed trial court’s order enjoining a hospital board’s decision to revoke a doctor’s clinical privileges.

Accolades

  • Honoree, Corporate Counsel Magazine, National Women in Law - Transformative Woman Leader, 2018
  • Selected, Best Lawyers, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2012 - 2016, 2018 - 2024
  • Selected, Super Lawyers, Products Liability, 2014 - 2021
  • Listed, Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta magazine, 2014-2015, 2017-2018
  • Honored, Georgia Trend Legal Elite - General Practice/Trial Law, 2011

MMMPact in the Community

  • Board Member, Ahimsa House

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