Spencer A. Smith – Retired
SPENCER A. SMITH, Retired. As a consultant, Spencer continues to be a valuable resource to the Firm’s attorneys in the areas of construction, real estate, natural resources and water law.
Prior to his retirement from active practice, Spencer represented a number of municipalities, counties, contractors, design professionals and school districts. His practice included the drafting and negotiation of documents utilized to secure professional services for the planning, programming and design of construction projects and for procurement of design and construction services. He also negotiated on behalf of his clients with various public entities, utilities, developers and regulatory agencies in connection with the acquisition of sites and the regulatory permitting and construction of projects such as wastewater treatment plants, airport improvements, schools, photovoltaic solar power plants and civil infrastructure. Spencer handled a variety of construction and real estate related claims for his public and private clients, including mediation, arbitration and litigation of construction and real property disputes including regulatory and permitting matters involving aquifer protection and Section 402 and 404 permits. He assisted his clients in acquisition of water rights and transfer of Central Arizona Project water rights.
Spencer received a B.S. in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1969. He graduated in 1981 from the University of Arizona Law School. Prior to becoming an attorney, Spencer worked for 10 years in the mining and construction industries as a contractor and engineer. His experience in the mining industry included location of mining claims, surface and underground mapping, core logging, review of title documents, operation of a gravity instrument and acting as a project engineer on the construction of a tungsten mill constructed for Union Carbide. He has been a speaker for various industry and legal organizations on the legal aspects of professional engineering practice, Arizona lien statutes, payment, other construction-related topics and CAP water transfers.