Greenberg Traurig adds George Smith to Florida office

BY SourceMedia | MUNICIPAL | 01/23/26 03:36 PM EST By Robert Slavin

Greenberg Traurig added George Smith to its Tallahassee, Florida, office as a shareholder in its public finance and infrastructure practice.

Smith has more than 26 years of experience advising on Florida's municipal bond financings and extensive legislative policy experience.

Smith is the second hire in the Tallahassee office's bond-related staff in the last six months. It recently added government law and policy practice Of Counsel Andrew Giles Fay.

"George's arrival marks an exciting chapter for our Tallahassee office as we continue to expand our capabilities across key practice areas," said David Ashburn, managing shareholder of the office. "George's distinguished record advising on some of Florida's most significant municipal finance transactions, as well as his leadership in shaping the state's legislative framework, will be invaluable to our clients here in Florida and throughout the country."

Smith has served as counsel on over 600 municipal bond transactions, exceeding $36 billion.

"Having worked alongside many members of Greenberg Traurig's public finance team both in Florida and nationally, I have continually been impressed by the firm's breadth of industry knowledge, collaborative culture and extensive resources," Smith said. "The firm's sophisticated capabilities in Section 103 tax matters in particular will greatly benefit my clients, making the decision to join Greenberg Traurig a clear and natural choice for me."

Smith frequently presents on bond topics to organizations like Florida League of Cities and Florida Association of Counties. Annually, Smith serves as chair of the Florida Bar's City, County and Local Government public finance seminar.

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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