Brad Smith

Current President and Chief Legal Officer of Microsoft.

What is Brad Smith known for?

Bradford Lee Smith, better known as Brad Smith, was born on January 17, 1959, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During his early years, Smith attended Appleton West High School in Wisconsin where he took on significant roles such as the student body president and the editor of the school paper.

Following high school, Smith attended Princeton University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1981. He then pursued a Juris Doctor degree at Columbia University, which he completed in 1985. During his time in school, Smith met his wife, Kathy Surace, with whom he shares two children.

Smith's professional journey started as a law clerk for United States federal judge Charles Miller Metzner. He then joined a law firm in Washington, D.C. called Covington & Burling, where he worked for seven years, including a four-year stint heading the firm's software practice in London.

Smith joined Microsoft in 1993, where he handled a range of responsibilities, including resolving the company's antitrust cases. By 2002, he was named Microsoft's general counsel and later became the senior vice president, and president in 2015.

As Microsoft's general counsel, Smith successfully navigated several legal and political challenges, the most notable being the settlement of the company's four-year antitrust battle about bundling the Internet Explorer web browser with the Microsoft Windows operating system. In 2021, Smith became Vice Chairman of Microsoft, solidifying his essential role in the company.