Bi-Coastal practice in CA, NJ, NY, and PA, Valerie A. Powers Smith is Of Counsel to Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney, LLP (SBEMP) with offices in Palm Springs, San Diego, and Orange County, CA; and Princeton, NJ.  SBEMP is a full-service civil law firm handling both transactional and litigation matters.

Valerie A. Powers Smith has over eighteen years of experience in the field of special needs and disability law including the following highly specialized practice areas: health care insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, special needs trusts, trust administration, estate planning & administration, guardianships, and accessing federal and state government disability-based benefits.

Over the years, Valerie has concentrated her legal work in the area of health care law and has vigorously advocated for families and people with disabilities to gain medically necessary care from private insurance companies, Medicaid, Medicare, and other health insurance providers.

She has additionally focused her practice in the areas of special needs trusts and estate planning and routinely advise families, executors, and corporate trustees on the area of special needs law and the administration of the same.

Valerie has written extensively on a variety of disability law topics, has co-authored several publications on accessing adult services, Medicaid, and health insurance; and is a regular contributor to several newsletters of disability-based advocacy organizations throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She has also lectured for disability-related groups throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and D.C since 1997.