Associate
Owen Smith

Education
UCLA School of Law, J.D., Order of the Barristers
University of Maryland, B.A.
Clerkship
Hon. Deborah K. Chasanow, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Admission
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Supreme Court of the United States
Owen Smith is an associate at HWG LLP, where his practice focuses on civil litigation, government enforcement matters, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Litigation
Owen represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil and commercial litigation, and complex business and contract disputes. His recent experience includes:
- Representing commercial entities in multi-million-dollar breach of contract disputes, including cases involving theft of trade secrets
- Obtaining a notice of dismissal of a third-party complaint against a leading wireless carrier in a case with multi-billion-dollar damages
- Securing significant financial settlements for plaintiffs in civil rights actions against municipalities and the federal government
- Successfully resolving intellectual property disputes related to the use of artificial intelligence, without the need for his clients to engage in costly litigation
- Negotiating a pre-litigation settlement exceeding twenty times his client’s actual damages from a multi-billion-dollar company, achieving a result far beyond full compensation without the need for court intervention
- Securing the early dismissal of state lawsuits against technology companies regarding Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), analogous state laws, and internet accessibility allegations
- Working pro bono to secure a court order for a landlord to undertake the costly replacement of an entire apartment building roof to remedy housing code violations in his client’s apartment
Investigations and Enforcement
Owen defends clients in government investigations and enforcement matters. His recent experience includes defending companies in concurrent investigations by the Department of Justice, FCC, the Office of Inspector General, state attorneys general, and state commissions. Owen has defended a technology and telecommunications client in one of the largest enforcement actions in FCC history.
He currently serves as a co-chair of the Federal Communications Bar Association’s Enforcement Committee.
Telecommunications
Owen advises emerging and established communications and technology companies on complying with the Communications Act and other federal and state laws governing telecommunications. His recent experience includes providing advice to video conferencing, VoIP, enterprise communications, investor relations technology, and contact center solutions, concerning market entry, regulatory strategy and compliance, and operational issues.
Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies
Owen advises companies on the use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Advice includes counseling on intellectual property, copyright, and trademark matters related to the exclusive rights of proprietary AI technology. He also advises clients on the development of Terms of Service and Privacy Policies for AI products and emerging technologies operating across multiple jurisdictions. In addition, Owen has successfully resolved many AI-related disputes without the need for his clients to undertake costly and burdensome litigation.
Prior to entering private practice, Owen served as a law clerk for the Honorable Deborah K. Chasanow of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and worked for the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit as a judicial extern. He received his J.D., Order of the Barristers, from UCLA School of Law, where he was a member of the Moot Court Honors Board and an editor of the Criminal Justice Law Review. He received his B.A. from the University of Maryland where he was an NCAA Division I student athlete.
Owen is recognized for excellence in legal work in the peer-reviewed publications Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and Super Lawyers: Rising Stars.
Read More+Education
UCLA School of Law, J.D., Order of the Barristers
University of Maryland, B.A.