KIRK G. SMITH: Received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, in New Orleans and his law degree (JD) from South Texas College of Law in Houston. Mr. Smith's experience in the brokerage industry is well diversified, from marketing for a smaller specialized Wall Street firm to working as an investment advisor for a major brokerage firm. In his career Mr. Smith has worked on several hundred arbitration matters in various capacities. Besides focusing on securities arbitration, Mr. Smith also devotes his time to protecting the rights of the investor through his membership in the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, and is also a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Smith has been featured as a guest speaker on the topic of Securities Arbitration at the ATLA Annual Convention.