Michael Ray Smith

I provide legal guidance to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and tax-exempt organizations across Indiana. My practice encompasses business and nonprofit formation, handling acquisitions and sales, negotiating contracts, resolving disputes, and protecting the rights of businesses and nonprofits. I have extensive experience forming and advising LLCs and working with tax-exempt entities, particularly 501(c)(3) organizations. Additionally, I represent clients in both civil and criminal appeals. I grew up in Tennessee but have called Indiana home since 1978, when I joined Eli Lilly and Company in Lafayette. After two years there, I took educational leave to earn an M.S. in chemical engineering from Purdue University. Returning to Lilly in Indianapolis, I worked in research and development and led an engineering department, where I cultivated leadership skills that I now use in serving business clients. In 1989, while working full-time, I began my legal studies. I graduated summa cum laude with a J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1993. Following graduation, I transitioned to Lilly’s Law Division, focusing on Environmental Law, Securities, and Commercial Transactions while also leading the division’s pro bono program. In 2008, I launched a business law practice in Fishers, and in 2018, I co-founded Harshman Ponist Smith & Rayl, LLC. I also teach as an adjunct professor at IU McKinney and lead continuing education courses for legal and financial professionals. Since 2009, I have authored the *Indiana Business Law Blog*, writing practical insights for business owners and nonprofit leaders. When I’m not practicing law, I enjoy backpacking, fishing, kayaking, gardening with native plants, and crafting using vintage hand tools.