Grasford Smith is an Akerman board member, partner, and nationally recognized litigator who represents Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and athletic leagues and figures in high-stakes commercial disputes, shareholder litigation, and complex contractual matters. He began his career at a leading Wall Street law firm and worked at Goldman Sachs on firmwide policy initiatives, later becoming the first Black equity partner in the century-long history of his prior firm. A Florida Supreme Court-certified mediator, he has secured multimillion-dollar settlements and victories across various industries, earning consistent recognition by Lawdragon’s Top 500 Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers for Commercial Litigation.
Operating at the intersection of law, technology, and institutional risk management, Grasford is a graduate of the Wharton Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania. A former computer programmer with advanced training from Stanford and Harvard in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, he integrates data-driven strategies directly into complex litigation. He also previously served as a boxing judge and referee, bringing a disciplined, real-time decision-making perspective to complex disputes.
His expertise in governance extends beyond the courtroom into nationwide institutional leadership. As a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors, Grasford shapes policy for more than 115,000 attorneys, earning several Florida Bar President’s Awards for his contributions. At the national level, he oversees financial strategy as the vice president of finance for the National Bar Association — the nation’s largest network of Black attorneys and judges — where he also received the Clyde E. Bailey Sr. Award for Corporate Leadership. Additionally, he serves on the FSU College of Business Executive Committee.
Recognized as one of Florida Trend’s Top 500 Business Leaders and Legacy Magazine’s “Corporate Executive of the Year,” Grasford is a proven leader in executive governance. A Leadership Florida graduate and former business law professor, he chairs audit, nominating, governance, and finance committees across multiple boards.
Grasford's extensive civic legacy includes past presidencies of the Palm Beach County Bar Association and the Black Chamber of Commerce. He also chaired the board of the American Heart Association in Palm Beach County and maintained national and regional leadership roles in fraternal organizations, including Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi.
Grasford earned his Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law as a Dean’s Scholar and Vanderbilt Medal recipient, where he co-founded the NYU Journal of Law & Business as executive editor. He earned his Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, in Management Information Systems from the Florida State University College of Business, where he served as president of the Management Information Systems Association. His executive education includes studies on business strategy at Cornell University and leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. Through his leadership in law, governance, and institutional strategy, Grasford guides organizations through complex legal, financial, and operational challenges with decisive execution.