[1] Smith practiced law for more than 25 years, litigating against oil companies and other energy-related corporations for damages associated with radioactive oilfield waste.
Street v. Chevron pitted the family owners of a pipe-yard located in rural southeastern Mississippi against a multinational oil conglomerate.
[8] Investigators from the Mississippi Division of Radiological Health found radiation from radium on the Street property 500 times the natural level.
[9] Chevron ultimately settled the case for an undisclosed amount of money in what remains one of the longest-running jury trials in Mississippi history.
Smith and Michael Stag began working together in 1997 and later established the firm SmithStag, focusing on plaintiff-oriented, environmental and toxic tort cases.
[11] In 2001, Smith was lead counsel in an oilfield radiation case that resulted in a verdict of $1.056 billion against ExxonMobil for contaminating private property it leased from the Grefer family in Harvey, Louisiana.
Louisiana Truth PAC attacked then State Representative Cedric Richmond as he sought to unseat Republican Joseph Cao.
A third candidate; State Representative and New Orleans trial lawyer Juan LaFonta appeared to the beneficiary of Louisiana Truth PAC efforts.
In 2014, Stuart H. Smith supported an effort by the Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates (VCPORA) to 'eliminate noise' in the French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans.
[19] This sparked a massive fight between New Orleans preservationists and Smith/VCPORA in which it was revealed that Stuart H. Smith had previously sued eight beloved French Quarter establishments including Pat O' Briens , Antoine's, and the Court of Two Sisters.
“Billion-Dollar Blockbuster Against Oil Industry: Retired Judge Claims Exxon Mobil Contaminated His Land With Radioactive Waste”.