J.D. SMITH
Business and Intellectual Property Lawyer
JD received his law degree from the University of Florida in 1990. His primary areas of practice are commercial, construction and intellectual property law, as well as business and patent litigation. Prior to entering law school, JD earned his MBA from Louisiana Tech University and worked for General Electric and WR Grace. A 1977 graduate of the US Air Force Academy, JD spent six years on active duty flying the B-52 bomber. In 1983, he joined the Air Force Reserves and began flying the AC-130 gunship at Duke Field, FL. From 1998 to 2002, he commanded the MC-130 Combat Shadow squadron at Eglin AFB. He is a veteran of Operations Desert Storm, Uphold Democracy and Joint Endeavor. In September 2011, he was mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom, and commanded special operations aircraft flying combat missions into Afghanistan. In 2002, he commanded the 321st Air Expeditionary Wing at Masirah Island, Oman. JD retired in 2007 as a US Air Force colonel.