James Smart

Partner

(860) 793-6772 x212
james@kgb-law.com

James is a partner at Koch, Garg & Brown, focusing his practice on federal criminal defense matters, complex civil litigation, appeals, and internal investigations and compliance reviews for companies and other entities. James graduated, summa cum laude, from Princeton University and received his M.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington. James then earned his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1997.

James joins Koch, Garg & Brown after 13 years with McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, where he was a member of the firm’s distinguished litigation group. Before joining McElroy Deutsch in 2011, James served for six years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Smart investigated and prosecuted a broad range of criminal cases, including white collar and tax matters, organized crime, narcotics and gang cases, and computer crimes.

From 1999 through 2005, James practiced at Cowdery, Ecker & Murphy in Hartford, where he litigated a broad range of matters, both civil and criminal, for corporate and individual clients, in various settings. Prior to entering private practice, James served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert N. Chatigny of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, and the Honorable David M. Borden of the Connecticut Supreme Court.

In addition to his extensive litigation practice, James is on the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Litigation Section, and he served as a member of the House of Delegates for the Bar Association. Previously, he served as Co-Chair of the Federal Practice Section, from 2014 until 2016, and he served as a member of the Federal Grievance Committee for the District of Connecticut from 2004-2006. James is also an alumnus of the Oliver Ellsworth Chapter of the American Inns of Court, and he was the editor and principal author of a chapter in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Discovery Manual.

In his spare time, James enjoys spending time with his family and dogs in Stamford. He is an avid bicyclist and has enjoyed competing in triathlons and other endurance sporting events.

Awards:

  • Selected as a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.
  • Named to the Connecticut Law Tribune’s 2005 New Leaders in the Law.

Published Decisions:

Licensed to practice in:

State of Connecticut
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
U.S. District Court, SDNY
U.S. District Court, EDNY
U.S. District Court, WDNY
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Supreme Court of the United States