About Daniel Hooper
Daniel Hooper Smith arrived at elder law after a circuitous path through public service and private practice. He combines courtroom experience from a federal clerkship and years in firm settings with day-to-day client work for older adults and veterans. The result is a practical, procedural approach to cases that often involve courts, benefits bureaucracy, and long-term care planning.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005. He returned to school later and received his Juris Doctor from George Mason University School of Law in 2015. Those academic stops — one grounded in education and the other in law — shape how he explains legal options to families and clients.
His first post-law-school position was a judicial law clerkship at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia in 2015. That year in the bankruptcy court exposed him to complex financial issues and procedural practice at the federal level. He moved into private practice the next year as an associate at Frith, Anderson & Peake, P.C., where he handled client matters and gained exposure to litigation and transactional work. In 2017 he became a partner at an elder-law clinic operating under the Advocates in Aging banner, listed as Wiesner Smith PLLC.
Smith is admitted to practice in Virginia and Florida. He is an accredited attorney with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a credential that allows him to represent veterans before the VA on benefits claims. He holds membership in the Sarasota County Bar Association, where he has been listed since 2018.
Colleagues and clients describe his practice as steady and procedural. The bankruptcy clerkship informs how he approaches asset and benefit questions, while his years at smaller firms have kept him close to client-facing tasks. He handles guardianship proceedings, probate administration, veterans' benefits claims, and matters arising from aging-related care needs. He often works with family members who are managing care, finances, and legal paperwork for older relatives.
Smith practices from offices associated with Advocates in Aging, Law Office of Ira S. Wiesner, P.A. He divides his time between client consultations, court appearances and appeals of administrative decisions. He practices at Advocates in Aging, Law Office of Ira S. Wiesner, P.A., handling elder law, veterans benefits, and related matters.
