Terral J. Smith

Partner

Terral J. Smith’s practice focuses on employee benefits and employment law.  He has extensive experience with plan design and compliance involving pensions, health and welfare benefit plans, apprenticeship training plans, vacation plans, multiemployer plans, litigation and advice, employee benefits arbitrations, and federal collections.  Mr. Smith frequently advises fiduciaries regarding mergers, spin-offs, and acquisitions of employee benefit plans.  He also counsels clients regarding compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) issues, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO’s) and Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSO), and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), and Pension Protection Act (PPA) issues.  Mr. Smith has successfully handled many pension dispute arbitrations involving complex ERISA issues and has trial experience in federal employment claims.

Mr. Smith has presented legal lectures and articles on QDRO processing and compliance and has written materials for the Joint Committee on Employee Benefits’ Annual ERISA Basics and Litigation National Institutes on Enforcement of Employer Contribution Obligations under ERISA.  He is a member of the Austin Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, and the State Bar of Wyoming.

1001 McKinney Street
Suite 550
Houston, TX 77002

Tel: (512) 600-1012
Fax: (713) 650-3851
Email: tsmith@cwlaw.com
Education:
  • St. Louis University of Law (J.D., 1995)
  • Washington University (B.A., Economics, 1992)
Bar Admissions & Years:
  • Texas - 1996
  • Wyoming - 1997
  • U.S. District Court, W.D. of Texas - 2004
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. of Texas - 2008
  • U.S. District Court, N.D. of Texas - 2008
  • U.S. District Court, E.D. of Texas - 2008
Memberships & Affiliations:
  • Texas Bar Association
  • Wyoming Bar Association
  • Austin Bar Association
  • Southwest Benefit Association
Seminars & Lectures:
  • QDRO's - Current Issues - Austin Bar Family Law Section, 2005
  • QDRO's - Current Issues - Hayes County Family Law Section, 2005
Publications:
  • Current Issues:  Qualified Domestic Relations Orders Processing Written Materials for Joint Committee on Employee Benefits' Annual ERISA Basics and Litigation National Institutes on Enforcement of Employer Contribution Obligations under ERISA