Brandon Smith is a partner at Holtzman Vogel, based in Tennessee, where he focuses on government investigations, white collar matters, and specialty litigation. A seasoned government leader and legal strategist, Brandon has played a central role in shaping conservative policy and litigation at the highest levels of state government.

Before joining the firm, Brandon served as Chief of Staff and Assistant Solicitor General in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. In that role, he led multi-state litigation, high-profile constitutional challenges, and efforts to counter federal overreach and ESG-related corporate activism. He worked closely with nearly every Republican Attorney General’s Office in the country, coordinating litigation, strategy, and multi-state policy efforts.

Earlier in his career, Brandon served as Executive Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and as Policy Director to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, where he helped drive key legislative and budget initiatives. He also held roles as Deputy Director of the Federalist Society and as an adjunct professor at American University.

Brandon’s career has been defined by a commitment to defending federalism, advancing conservative governance, and shaping legal and policy fights that matter.

Clerkship/Government Experience
  • Office of the Tennessee Attorney General, Chief of Staff and Assistant Solicitor General & Director of Policy and Federalism
  • Office of Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin - Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Executive Director for Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
  • Office of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Policy Director
  • Shawnee County, Kansas District Attorney’s Office - Law Clerk
  • Tennessee Bar Association (2019-Present)
  • Blackstone Legal Fellowship (2009-Present)
  • Christian Legal Society Member (2008-Present)
  • Federalist Society Member, Executive Committee Member-Federalism Practice Group (2008-Present)
  • Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law (Emerging Leaders Program) (2021-2022)
  • The United States-Spain Council Young Leaders Program (2020-2022)
  • Nashville Bar Association, Nashville Bar Journal Executive Committee Member (2020-2021)
  • Atlantic Initiative, United States-Germany Transatlantic Fellowship (2017-2019)
  • Christian Legal Aid of the District of Columbia: Clinic Director, Fundraising Chair, Member of the Board of Directors (2012-2015)

Related Practice Areas
  • The George Washington University Law School, LL.M., National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law
  • University of Kansas School of Law, J.D.
  • Abilene Christian University, B.A., with honors, Political Science
  • Kansas Bar
  • Tennessee Bar
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
  • U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Sixth Circuits
Brandon Smith, Holtzman Vogel