Hall Booth Smith Extends National Reach with Expansion of its Litigation Practice in New Mexico Office with Six New Attorneys

Hall Booth Smith P.C. is excited to announce the addition of partners Chance Barnett and Charles B. Kraft, along with associates Nicholas Baca, Emilee Greenhouse, Fetsum Habtemariamand Krista Russell, to the firm’s Albuquerque office.

The expansion comes amid high-profile product and tech liability verdicts, increased state regulatory pushbacks and legislative tort reforms in New Mexico, allowing the firm to further serve its growing clientele in the region.

“With the uptick in nuclear verdicts across the country, our clients need a defense team that understands the stakes and can respond with the same intensity and strategy that today’s litigation demands,” said John E. Hall Jr., founding partner of Hall Booth Smith. “This growth is building a national bench of litigators who can meet this moment head on and protect our clients’ interests.”

“Chance, Charles, Nicholas, Emilee, Fetsum and Krista are great additions to our growing office,” said Jeffrey Croasdell, partner in Hall Booth Smith’s Albuquerque office. “We’re lucky to have them join the team here in New Mexico. Their experience and commitment to client service will strengthen what we’re building in this market, and I’m confident our clients will feel the difference.”

About Chance Barnett

Barnett joins the firm as a partner with over a decade of legal experience, focusing his practice on medical malpractice, dental malpractice and health care litigation. He has devoted the majority of his legal career to defending physicians, dentists, healthcare providers and medical professionals in complex professional liability matters. An experienced trial attorney, Barnett represents clients through all phases of the litigation process, as well as in administrative proceedings before professional licensing boards. Barnett is an active member of the New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association and the Defense Research Institute.

Barnett earned his Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law and his Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in communications from the University of New Mexico.

About Charles Kraft

Kraft also joins the firm as partner with more than 10 years of civil litigation experience. He focuses his practice on representing professionals, businesses and organizations in complex litigation involving catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims, transportation and trucking matters, products liability, professional malpractice, regulatory and licensure issues and a wide range of general liability disputes. Before joining Hall Booth Smith, Kraft worked as a partner, director and shareholder defending clients ranging from individual professionals and business owners to large corporations and institutions in high-exposure claims. Kraft is also a former state assistant attorney general and public defender.

Kraft earned his Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico.

Nicholas Baca

Nicholas Baca is joining as an associate focusing his practice on defending healthcare providers, businesses and insurers in medical malpractice, complex commercial litigation, products liability and general liability matters.

He previously served as an Intern for the Executive Office of the New Mexico Department of Justice, he served as a Congressional Staff Assistant for both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, where he assisted constituents on federal and state matters supporting legislative efforts.

He earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and his dual Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude in Political Science, Legal Theory and Philosophy, from the University of New Mexico.

Emilee Greenhouse

Emilee Greenhouse is joining as an associate focusing her practice on general liability, premises liability, products liability and transportation matters.

She began her legal career at a prominent Albuquerque civil defense firm, where she worked on complex, high-exposure litigation involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, transportation, premises liability and products liability claims.

She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of New Mexico School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the University of New Mexico.

Fetsum Habtemariam

Fetsum Habtemariam is joining as an associate focusing his practice on medical malpractice defense, healthcare litigation, professional liability and complex civil litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, he represented healthcare providers and medical institutions in complex medical malpractice and professional liability matters.

Habtemariam earned his Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law. He was also an active member of the Black Law Students Association, served on the Student Bar Association’s Diversity & Equity Inclusion Board and earned the Natural Resources and Environmental Law (NREL) Certificate for J.D. students.

Krista Russell

Krista Russell is joining as an associate focusing her practice on general liability, health care, medical malpractice and professional malpractice & ethics.

Prior to starting her legal career, Russell spent several years working as a magnetic resonance imaging technologist before earning a master’s degree in biomedical diagnostics and transitioning into radiology research.

Russell earned her Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law. She received her Master of Science in Biomedical Diagnostics, cum laude, from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging, cum laude, from St. Catharine College.

About Hall Booth Smith’s New Mexico Office

Hall Booth Smith’s Albuquerque team offers clients national representation in a full suite of areas, including products and general liability, medical malpractice, healthcare litigation, transportation, insurance coverage and commercial litigation. Through significant courtroom and litigation experience, the Albuquerque team efficiently defends individuals, businesses, insurers and professionals in a wide range of high-exposure matters throughout the region.

About Hall Booth Smith

Established in 1989, Hall Booth Smith P.C. is a full-service law firm headquartered in Atlanta. Experienced across a wide range of legal disciplines, HBS attorneys pride themselves on providing knowledgeable, proactive and client-specific counsel to individuals, domestic and international corporations, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The firm’s promise: “Serving to achieve excellence.” To learn more, please visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.