Jason E. Smith

Jason has been practicing community association law since 2006 as a defense attorney, handling insurance defense cases, administrative hearings, and Fair Housing matters.  His primary areas of practice are civil litigation and insurance defense litigation especially in the areas of real estate and employment law. He has substantial experience representing community associations, non-profit corporations, residential and commercial landlords, and other property and business owners.  As managing partner of our Tucson office, he oversees all facets of the firm’s practice areas, including general counsel, transactional work, and debt collection.

Jason frequently teaches on community association law and has taught Fair Housing at the CAI National Law Conference as well as at the Texas State Bar Advanced Property Owners Association Law certification course in 2018. He received the Instructor of the Year from the Arizona Association of Community Managers in 2016 for teaching numerous credentialing classes for community managers.

Outside of the office, Jason is an outdoor enthusiast. He likes to trail run, hike, bike, backpack, camp, and raft in the wide open spaces of Arizona and the Southwest that drew him here. When he can’t get away, he enjoys siting on his porch and enjoying the beautiful Sonoran desert with his wife and four children. As a Hoosier by birth, he is also an avid basketball fan.

 

MEMBERSHIPS:

Defense Research Institute (DRI)

Tucson Defense Bar

Community Associations Institute

Pima County Bar Association

Arizona Multi-Housing Association

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona (CHRPA), Board of Directors, 2005-2006

Aviva Children’s Services, Board of Directors, 2016-present

Easterseals Blake Foundation, Board of Directors, 2019-present

San Rafael Neighborhood Association (Historic), Board of Directors, 2016-2019

Community Associations Institute, Southern Arizona Chapter, Board of Directors, 2012-2014, 2016-2018

 

EDUCATION:

Ball State University, BA English, 1996

Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD, 2000

 

ADMISSIONS:

Indiana 2001

Arizona 2004

 

SIGNIFICANT AND PUBLISHED CASES:

Gelb v. Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety, 225 P.3d 515 (App. 2010), declaratory judgment action finding administrative hearing process violated separation of powers clause in Arizona’s constitution

DiFrank v. Ventana Vista Condominium, C20143404, obtained defense verdict for condominium and management company in a $2M mold damages case

Sandoval v. Red Adobe Pass Homeowners Ass’n, C20163673, obtained defense verdict on $500,000 claims of trespass and diminution of property value

Chula Vista Homeowners Ass’n v. Irwin, 245 Ariz. 249 (App. 2018)

Tucson Estates Property Owners Ass’n, Inc. v. McGovern, 2016 WL 197813

LaWall v. Pima County Merit System Commission, 212 Ariz. 489 (App. 2006)

Pima County v. Pima County Law Enforcement Merit System Council, 211 Ariz. 224 (2005)