Carlton Fields’ Christopher Smart and Scott Pence Named Fellows of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers

TAMPA, FL – Christopher Smart and Scott Pence were selected as fellows of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL).

ACREL is a select national association of commercial real estate lawyers that aims to promote high standards of professional and ethical responsibility in the practice of real estate law by focusing on education, professional development, law reform, and legislative, administrative, and judicial initiatives across the industry. The organization's members consist of distinguished lawyers who have been elected to fellowship for their legal ability, experience, and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice of real estate law.

Smart has more than 20 years of experience trying real estate, title insurance, and consumer finance cases on behalf of national title insurance companies, mortgage lenders, and real estate owners, developers, and investors. In addition to his trial experience, he has a comprehensive understanding of the real estate industry and title to real property, and serves as an expert witness on Florida’s real estate industry practices and customs. He is the current chair of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar’s Title Insurance and Title Insurance Liaison Committee and the former longtime chair and continuing active member of the Title Issues and Standards Committee.

Pence is a construction and real estate attorney who has been involved in many large, complex projects both in the state of Florida and across the country, including public-private partnerships (P3s), major stadiums, arenas, ballparks, airports, energy facilities, pipelines, hospitals, education facilities, hotels, casinos, and first responder training facilities. Pence is board certified by the Florida Bar in construction law and is very active in the Florida Bar, where he is a past chair of both the Construction Law Committee and the Insurance and Surety Committee of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section.

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