The Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), an international bar association comprised of attorneys dedicated to the representation of individual investors in disputes with the securities industry, today announced the 2014 PIABA Distinguished Service Award recipient, Brian N. Smiley.

Brian Smiley is a partner in the firm of Smiley Bishop & Porter LLP. He was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in Atlanta. He attended Emory College, where he was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa and from which he graduated with highest honors in 1975. Following graduation, he attended Emory University School of Law, where he served on the Board of Editors of the Emory Law Journal and was initiated into the Order of the Coif.

Upon graduation (with distinction) in 1978, Mr. Smiley received an appointment as a Trial Attorney in the United States Department of Justice. While at the Justice Department, Mr. Smiley acted as counsel for the Government in numerous cases that were deemed by the Attorney General to be of unusual importance to the United States, including Nixon v. United States, various constitutional cases and litigation involving the NATO treaty.

In 1981, Mr. Smiley returned to Atlanta from Washington, and entered into the private practice of law. As a litigator, Mr. Smiley has handled constitutional and civil rights suits, products liability claims, personal injury litigation, commercial controversies, shareholders' derivative suits, fidelity bond and RICO suits, and securities litigation and arbitration. For over 20 years, Mr. Smiley has concentrated in the securities field, primarily representing investors in FINRA arbitrations.

Mr. Smiley is the author of numerous articles including: "Stockbroker-Customer Disputes-Making a Case for Arbitration," (Georgia State Bar Journal, May 1987); "Spotting Common Forms of Stockbroker Misconduct" (The Verdict, Jan. - Feb. 1991); and, "The Law and Ethics of Witness Preparation" (Practicing Law Institute, 1998). He has spoken at numerous seminars sponsored by the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association and has been quoted on securities matters in the national press.

Mr. Smiley is a frequent lecturer on the topics of stockbroker misconduct, the handling of litigation and arbitration involving stockbrokers, and legal ethics. He has testified as an expert at special hearings about the "penny stock" industry conducted by the Secretary of State of Georgia. Mr. Smiley testified before the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Securities Subcommittee, on the topics of "penny stock" fraud and securities industry arbitration.

In 2002, Mr. Smiley was appointed to the National Arbitration and Mediation Committee (NAMC). The 13 members of the NAMC advise the Board of Directors of FINRA, which is the world’s largest forum for handling arbitration and mediation of disputes between clients and brokerage firms. The NAMC is actively involved in the drafting of arbitration rules and the recruitment, training and evaluation of arbitrators.

He served on the Board of Directors of PIABA for three terms and was honored to act as PIABA’s President in 2008-2009.

The PIABA Distinguished Service Award is a life-time achievement award in recognition of individuals promoting the interests of public investors in securities arbitration. "Mr. Smiley’s contributions and achievements on behalf of public investors are immeasureable and we are honored to recognize him with PIABA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award," said Robin Ringo, Executive Director of PIABA.