Attorney Michael Ray Smith worked as in-house counsel at Eli Lilly and Company for more than fourteen years, practicing in the environmental group, the securities group, and the commercial transactions group. He brings this extensive business law experience to his private practice, where he concentrates on providing personal service and practical advice to businesses and nonprofit organizations.

While working as an attorney with Lilly’s commercial transactions group, Mr. Smith worked on a variety of strategic sourcing initiatives, joint ventures, and other transactions. He also developed a system for writing and maintaining contract templates for use by the company’s procurement professionals in areas as diverse as laboratory research, construction, advertising, and market research.

For thirteen years, before graduating from law school, Mr. Smith worked for the same company as a chemical engineer in manufacturing and process development areas and as a department head of biochemical engineering.

Mr. Smith took an early retirement from Lilly in 2008 to start his private law practice, concentrating on business organizations and nonprofit organizations, including those that serve the needs of the less fortunate, relying on his broad experience in commercial transactions to help meet his clients' business needs. He chose to locate his office in Fishers because it is a strong, vibrant, growing community of families, businesses and other organizations.

Mr. Smith has always been concerned about the delivery of legal services to those who can't afford a lawyer, an interest reflected in his work at Lilly. While there, he put together Lilly’s pro bono program, which was dedicated to serving low income individuals and nonprofits that work in low income communities. In 2004, the Indiana Heartland Pro Bono Council honored him with the Heartland Pro Bono Award.

Michael’s community involvement is extensive, including work as a contract attorney for the Community Development Law Center in Indianapolis and teaching on the collegiate level as an Adjunct Professor in the Nonprofit Externship Program at the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis.

In addition to being admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana, he is also admitted in the U.S. District Court, Northern Indiana; the U.S. District Court, Southern Indiana; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit.