Stanley W. Smith

Stanley W. Smith is a San Francisco real estate and commercial litigator who also maintains an established mediation practice. He represents clients in state and federal courts at trial and appellate levels. His litigation work includes construction defects, commercial leases, easement and boundary disputes, real estate professional malpractice, partnership disputes, partition actions, and other business conflicts. He also helps parties resolve disputes through mediation and court-appointed dispute resolution roles.

Stanley earned a B.A. from Stanford University, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1976. He was admitted to the California Bar that same year. His education and decades of courtroom work support his ability to analyze complicated property and commercial issues, prepare cases for litigation, and identify practical paths toward resolution.

Stanley has focused much of his career on real estate litigation while also handling business and commercial disputes. He added mediation to his practice in 1999 and has spent more than two decades helping parties reach settlement agreements. His dispute resolution experience includes service as a court-appointed Special Master, Referee, and Judge Pro Tem in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties. He also presents on continuing legal education panels.

Stanley W. Smith has been selected as a Northern California Super Lawyer every year since 2019. He is a member of the State Bar of California, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the San Mateo County Bar Association. His combined litigation and mediation experience allows him to approach disputes from both advocacy and resolution perspectives. He helps clients address difficult real estate and commercial conflicts through courtroom representation, structured negotiation, and practical dispute resolution.

Law Office Affiliations

• Founding Partner, Niven & Smith, LLP
• Member, State Bar of California
• Member, Bar Association of San Francisco
• Member, San Mateo County Bar Association

Licensed State

• California

Education

• University of California, Hastings College of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Stanford University
  BAcheor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges