Former Federal Prosecutor and Longtime In-House Bank Counsel Matthew T. Smith Joins Ballard Spahr

Matthew T. Smith—whose experience includes more than 15 years practicing as in-house bank counsel and as a federal prosecutor—has joined Ballard Spahr as a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department, firm Chair Peter Michaud announced today.

Matt’s addition to Ballard Spahr’s Philadelphia office expands the breadth and depth of the firm’s standout national Litigation Department. The Department includes more than 340 litigators in 18 offices across the country, including the Pacific Northwest through the firm’s January 1 combination with Lane Powell. Matt will be a member of Ballard Spahr’s acclaimed White Collar Defense and Investigations and Consumer Financial Services Groups.

Matt’s experience interacting with U.S. bank regulators is especially valuable amid the shifting and uncertain regulatory environment under the new presidential administration, responses by states, and ongoing court cases. He has experience with a range of federal consumer financial services laws, and brings his background with matters involving state attorneys general to Ballard Spahr’s dedicated State Attorneys General Consumer Finance Response Team. He has handled matters before the CFPB, DOJ, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and OFAC, and has experience working with the OCC, FDIC, and the Federal Reserve.

“Matt’s skills and experience align with our strength and focus in complex white collar litigation and consumer financial services,” said Henry E. Hockeimer, Jr., leader of Ballard Spahr’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Group. “He expands what we can offer clients and adds depth to our capabilities.”

Matt practiced for eight years as an in-house lawyer at TD Bank, based in Cherry Hill, N.J., a role in which he advised senior executives and the bank’s Board of Directors. As head of U.S. regulatory and investigations for TD’s U.S. Litigation Team, he represented the bank in regulatory and enforcement matters and regularly met with, and presented to, U.S. bank regulators.

Earlier in his career, Matt was an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where he served as trial counsel on more than a dozen jury trials. Matt’s work as a federal prosecutor spanned a range of cases involving white collar fraud, money laundering, national security, narcotics, tax crimes, and violent crime.

“I’m excited to contribute to the work Ballard does day in and day out to benefit clients,” Matt said. “I’m particularly glad to be joining at a time of such flux in the regulatory environment, because our clients really need our help sifting through the noise and positioning for success.”

Ballard Spahr earned 14 Best Law Firms Tier 1 national rankings in 2025 for litigation practice areas, including Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and many of its litigators have been cited for excellence by Chambers USA. The BTI Consulting Group ranked it among the nation’s “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation” in its Litigation Outlook 2025 report, specifically identifying it as an “Intimidating Opponent 2025."

On January 1, 2025, Ballard Spahr combined with Lane Powell, gaining more than 150 new attorneys and offices in Anchorage, Portland, and Seattle. Matt is the third partner to join the firm post-combination, following Atlanta-based Jill Steinberg, who recently joined the White Collar Defense and Investigations Group, and Antitrust and Competition Partner Christopher Wyant, who joined the Seattle office in February.

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