Francis J. Smith Jr.

Fran is a partner concentrating his practice in the areas of commercial creditors' rights, commercial litigation, and appellate practice. In his commercial creditor's rights practice, Fran represents commercial lenders in all areas involving troubled loans, including workouts and mortgage foreclosures. Fran is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Commercial Litigation Section, and the Capital Region Bankruptcy Bar Association. Fran is the editor of the Mortgage Foreclosures chapter of the New York State Bar Association Practical Skills Series. Prior to joining O'Connell & Aronowitz, P.C., Fran was a partner with the firm of McNamee Lochner P.C. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Smith spent eight years with the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, the last six of which were spent as confidential law clerk to the Honorable A. Franklin Mahoney, Presiding Justice of that court.

• Shareholder

• New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department
• Hon. A. Franklin Mahoney, Presiding Justice, New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department, Confidential Law Clerk
• Appellate Division, Third Department, Motion Clerk

• New York, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1994
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2004

• Committee on Character and Fitness to Practice Law for the Third Judicial Department, (Member)