Yanika Smith-Bartley
Vice President & Special Counsel, Diversity & Inclusion – HR, Asurion
Ms. Yanika “Nikki” Smith-Bartley is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She is married to Brian Bartley and they have two sons, Grayson (8) and Harper (5). She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Fisk University and her Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University Law School. She currently holds the position of Vice-President & Special Counsel, Diversity and Inclusion at Asurion. In this role, she built the first diversity and inclusion business function at Asurion and leads the development and implementation of global diversity and inclusion strategies. She also serves on their Human Resources Leadership Team providing legal advice and counsel and oversight on matters of equality, employment law compliance and HR policies and processes. Under her leadership, Asurion has been recognized both nationally and locally for its diversity and inclusion program.
In her previous role at Asurion, she served as Senior Assistant General Counsel in the Legal Department managing the employment, litigation and risk (ELR) team, which provides expert and strategic advice on domestic and international employment and litigation matters and risk mitigation strategies.
Before joining Asurion, Ms. Smith-Bartley practiced employment law at Baker Donelson, where she also served as a diversity inclusion trainer, Vice-Chair of the Diversity Committee and as a member of the Recruiting Committee. Ms. Smith-Bartley is a Past President of the Marion Griffin Chapter of the Lawyers’ Association for Women, served as secretary for the Nashville and Napier Looby Bar Associations, is an alumnus of Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law, Young Leaders Council, and Harry Phillips American Inn of Court, and a past board member of Bethlehem Centers of Nashville and Nashville Electric Service, where she served as Vice-Chairman of the Board. She remains an active member of the legal community.
Currently, Ms. Smith-Bartley serves on the boards of Nashville Public Television (Programming and Local Services Committee Chair) and CABLE (Member-at-Large). She is also an active member of the Williamson County Area County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. (Grade Group Chair) and Kappa Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. where she previously served as parliamentarian and held the regional position of Tennessee Connections Chair.
She served as mock trial coach for Harpeth Hall’s High School Mock Trial team for many years and regularly mentors young lawyers and women.
She has received the following Nashville Business Journal awards: “Women of Influence – Trailblazer” (2019), “Best of The Bar” (2017) and “Top Forty under 40” (2013) and is a Nashville Bar Foundation Fellow.
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