Mary Ann Smith Email and Phone Number

My commitment to public service grew out of my work advocating for under-represented members of our community and a commitment to advancing opportunities for girls and women. I have had the privilege of serving as President of the Sacramento Chapter of Girls on the Run and as a member of the NASAA Investor Education Section, Alerts and Advisories Project. As a member of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Enforcement Section, I help identify trends and developments related to securities laws violations and coordinate multijurisdictional enforcement efforts. My entire career has been dedicated to public service. After earning my law degree at the University of Miami School of Law, I served as a Public Defender for Broward County, where I defended those accused of crimes that carried potential life sentences. I left the Public Defender’s Office to join the Office of the Attorney General as an Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. In this role, I successfully filed civil actions using the state's Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices Act (UDAAP) to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act, anti-discrimination laws, and voting laws. I initiated legal action that led to a national settlement against Household Finance for predatory lending. In 2004, I was recruited by the State of California Department of Corporations to serve as a Corporations Counsel and then promoted to Senior Corporations Counsel. I performed complex litigation and negotiations and secured significant settlements in civil actions, including a securities fraud case that awarded $17.8 million in restitution to victims. Since 2012 I have served as the Deputy Commissioner for the State of California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. I currently lead efforts to protect consumers through policy development, the creation of consumer education materials, and litigation.Leading a team of attorneys, examiners, and investigators, I defend the rights of Californians through the investigation and prosecution of violations of state laws and regulations. Some of my biggest wins include multimillion-dollar civil judgments for securities fraud. An expert witness, I have been called to provide testimony on the securities law to prosecute white-collar crime.