Former Rep. James Smith, a partner with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough’s Columbia office, has been appointed to become a part of two veteran service-related industries.

Smith was recently appointed to the board of the Big Red Barn Retreat. The retreat is aimed at helping military veterans, active-duty servicemen and women, and first responders work on their mental health and cope with the experiences of serving in the armed forces and in emergency response roles.

He was also appointed to the Patriots Point Development Authority (PPDA) Board after South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster approved a recommendation from the state’s head of military operations, Maj. Gen. R. Van McCarty.

The authority was established in the late 1970s to develop and maintain a naval and maritime museum on Charleston Harbor. At the center of the museum and location is the retired World War II aircraft carrier — the USS Yorktown. 

A former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Smith is a combat veteran himself and currently serving as a Major in the South Carolina Army National Guard. Decorated for his service in Operation Enduring Freedom, James was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. His grandfather, Captain Paul B. Smith, served as the head gunnery officer aboard Patriots Point’s historic destroyer: The USS Laffey during World War II.

At Nelson Mullins, Smith focuses his practice on litigation. His substantial experience includes commercial litigation, business litigation, civil litigation, probate litigation, personal injury, product liability, automotive crashworthiness, alternative dispute resolution, contract negotiation, intellectual property, entertainment law, and medical malpractice.

Established in 1897, Nelson Mullins is an AmLaw 100 firm of more than 1,000 attorneys, policy advisors and professionals, with 33 offices in 17 states and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nelsonmullins.com.