Alan J. Smith

Email: ajsmith@grunskylaw.com

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Practice Areas:

Alan J. Smith emphasizes the following areas of law in his practice:

• Land use
• Construction
• Government (including local government)
• Commercial transactions
• Real property transactions and finance
• Real estate law

His practice focuses on counseling and litigation, primarily in the areas of commercial transactions, construction, real estate transactions, real estate finance and escrows.  Mr. Smith is a shareholder at the Grunsky Law firm and also serves on the firm's Management Committee. 

Experience:

Mr. Smith has tried real estate actions in the Superior Courts of various counties, including actions involving fraud claims, contract claims, specific performance and rescission claims, title insurance claims, partition actions and assorted easement disputes.  He has also represented both public and private entities in connection with delay damages and extra work claims on construction projects.

Mr. Smith served as the City Attorney for the City of Watsonville since December 1995.  Between 1996 and 1999, he served on the Community Service Policy Committee of the League of California Cities and was a member of the League's City Attorney's Department Legislative Committee in 1998 and 1999. In 2009 he began a two year term as Monterey Bay Division representative to the League of Cities Legal Advocacy Committee.

Education:

Mr. Smith received his Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law in 1979.  He completed his undergraduate work at the University of California, Los Angeles and Chapman University.

Admissions:

Mr. Smith is admitted to the California Bar, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California.

Community Activities and Affiliations:

Mr. Smith has been actively involved in leadership roles in the community throughout his legal career.  He has been a member of the Watsonville Rotary Club since 1989 and served on its Board of Directors in various positions.  In addition, between 1991 and 1995, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and served as its president in 1993.

Mr. Smith was elected to the Governing Board of the Cabrillo Community College District in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998, 2002 and 2006.  He also served as Chair of the College's Governing Board in 1997 and 2006.  He has served several terms on the Cabrillo College Foundation and been a member of its Finance Committee.  Mr. Smith also served on the Board of Directors of the Monterey County Law Library between 1980 and 1982.

He coached youth basketball the Watsonville YMCA and holds several positions in Local Boy Scout Troop 599.