Almuhtada Smith, Commissioner

Almuhtada Smith is currently the principal attorney with ARS Counsel, P.C.. With over a decade of legal experience, Almuhtada handles complex transactional matters providing counsel to various start-up enterprises, entertainment professionals, venture-backed companies and family-owned businesses. His service areas of expertise include managing intellectual property, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, e-commerce, and corporate governance.

Almuhtada spent much of his career at several prestigious law firms, including The Cochran Firm and Jenner & Block. His exposure to Fortune 500 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovative start-ups influenced his entrepreneurial vision that inspired his founding of ARS Counsel. Almuhtada focuses on social innovation and racial equity in his practice, offering premium services to entrepreneurs and creatives of color. His high-quality work placed Almuhtada on the 2021 and 2022 Southern California Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers, an honor reserved for only 2.5% of Southern California attorneys, and the 2023 and 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list. He also received a “40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates” award from the National Bar Association in 2022. Almuhtada champions diversity in the legal profession and recently penned op-eds for Bloomberg Law titled "Flores' NFL Story Parallels Lack of Diversity in Legal Industry" and “Black Artists Have Waited Long Enough for IP Reparations.” He has also shared his expertise with Ebony Magazine, highlighting tips for Black entrepreneurs seeking start-up funding, and BET.com, highlighting ways to regulate artificial intelligence in the music industry.

A native of Passaic, New Jersey, Almuhtada was born into a loving family struggling with the realities of poverty. His environment instilled him with a strong sense of character, ethical values, and a determined work ethic. Almuhtada obtained his undergraduate degree at Morehouse College, where he joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and earned his J.D at the UCLA School of Law. Committed to serving his community, Almuhtada is a board member and former Chairman for the Los Angeles Southwest College Foundation and a lifetime member of the John M. Langston Bar Association. He enjoys spending time with friends and family and supporting the visual and performing arts community in Los Angeles.