Forrest Smith is a founding partner in Ryan Law LLP. He served as senior partner at Bell, Nunnally & Martin LLP in Dallas, from 1994 to 2008. Prior to joining Bell, Nunnally & Martin, Mr. Smith served as managing partner at Arter & Hadden in Dallas from 1988 to 1994, and as president of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce from 1984 to 1988. He began his career at Mobil Oil Corporation in Dallas, serving as tax counsel from 1952 to 1983. Mr. Smith joined the DFW Airport Board in March 2008.

Mr. Smith attended Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas and received his B.A. from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. He later attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, earning both a Juris Doctor degree and an LLM degree. He was admitted to practice law in the state of Texas in 1955.

Coinciding with his professional employment, Mr. Smith also received several state appointments. He was appointed by the lieutenant governor of Texas to the Texas Small Business Stationary Source Compliance Program Advisory Panel in 1992. The governor appointed him to the Texas Select Committee on Tax Equity, on which he served from 1987 to 1989. He also was appointed by the governor to the Texas Youth Council for a six-year term beginning in 1968, serving as chairman from 1971-1973.

Mr. Smith has received many honors during his distinguished career: