Todd A. Smith and Brian LaCien, with more than 60 years of combined experience as trial lawyers, have announced the formation of Smith LaCien LLP, a personal injury law firm headquartered here, concentrating in catastrophic injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice cases.

A trial lawyer throughout his career, Smith received his law degree from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and became an assistant public defender in the Felony Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. He left to join Philip H. Corboy & Associates, and in 1993, he joined Joseph A. Power, Jr. and Larry R. Rogers, Sr. as a founding partner in the Chicago law firm of Power Rogers & Smith, P.C.

Smith is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only organization limited to 100 top trial lawyers nationwide. He is also a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. He has been elected to leadership positions in numerous bar and bar-related associations. 

Previously a trial lawyer at Power Rogers & Smith, LaCien began his career as an assistant legal counsel to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He currently serves as chair of the Tort Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association and chair of the Aviation Section of the American Association for Justice.  He received a J.D., magna cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.