About Emily E
Emily E Smith-Lee builds a professional identity from steady progression and firm leadership. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Johns Hopkins University in 1989. Four years later she completed her law degree at Boston College in 1993. Those academic credentials set the stage for a career that has moved between large firm practice and independent practice.
Her early years after law school led to a position as an associate at McDermott, Will & Emery in 1996. She rose through the ranks and became a partner at the same firm in 2002. Those years in a national firm environment gave her day-to-day experience in managing client matters, supervising associates and participating in firm operations.
In 2009 she left the large firm setting to start Smith Lee LLC. That move marked the beginning of an independent practice phase. In 2011 she became managing partner of Smith Lee Nebenzahl LLP, taking on a more formal leadership role while maintaining client work. By 2016 she had founded and taken ownership of slnlaw LLC, which remains her practice vehicle. The pattern of moves highlights a willingness to change practice settings and take on administrative responsibilities as well as legal ones.
Smith-Lee is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Those jurisdictions frame the geographic reach of her appellate and trial work. Over the years she has handled matters that required briefing, court appearances and the supervision of litigation teams, reflecting the dual demands of advocacy and practice management.
Colleagues describe a lawyer who understands both the mechanics of big-firm practice and the different rhythms of running a smaller firm. She has experience overseeing cases, handling client relationships and guiding less experienced lawyers. Her record shows repeated transitions between partnership roles and firm ownership, a career path that combines courtroom work and office leadership.
Today she practices through slnlaw LLC, operating from that firm office in Massachusetts. Her current practice serves clients in Massachusetts and in matters brought before the First Circuit, reflecting the jurisdictions to which she is admitted and the continuity of her professional work.
