Scott G. Smith is a member of Clark Hill’s Grand Rapids office, who co-chairs our Education and Municipal Law Practice Group, and concentrates his practice in the areas of municipal law, municipal finance law, environmental law, and condemnation law.

Scott serves as general legal counsel for the communities of Allegan, Grand Haven, Mackinaw City, Mt. Pleasant, Otsego, Plainwell, Saline, South Haven, and Sparta, as outside counsel for the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, and as special legal counsel for Grand Rapids, Greenville, Lake Odessa, Portland, Wyoming, and a number of other communities.

Scott has extensive experience in all aspects of municipalities and municipal endeavors, representing cities, townships, villages, counties, and myriad authorities and intergovernmental entities, such as behavioral health authorities, brownfield redevelopment authorities, DDAs, TIFAs, EDCs, utility boards, joint fire and other emergency services boards, parks and recreation authorities, and other municipal bodies and entities.

He has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars on such topics as property acquisition and condemnation, environmental considerations in municipal property transactions, blight enforcement, legislation affecting local governments, medical marihuana, open meetings and freedom of information issues, zoning, planning and land use, relationships between municipalities and non-profit entities, intergovernmental contracts, annexation and Act 425 agreements, and the redevelopment of blighted and contaminated property.

After being involved in scores of intergovernmental contracts, Scott drafted the Municipal Partnership Act, 2011 PA 258, and has been involved in a number of other legislative efforts involving local government issues. He was named in 2010 by the West Michigan Business Review as a “Thought Leader in the Law,” as well as the 2012 and 2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice of municipal law and municipal litigation, and the 2012 Michigan Super Lawyers for municipal law. Scott also is the co-author of “Understanding Township Franchises & Right-of-Way Consents,” Michigan Township News, June 2003.