McKool Smith scored high marks in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA, which recognizes the firm as an industry leader in commercial litigation, intellectual property, and securities litigation.. Additionally, 14 of the firm's trial lawyers are recognized as leaders in their respective areas of practice.
Market commentators noted "It is simply the best trial firm I have worked with, McKool Smith knows how to prepare a case for trial and then how to win that trial", and "the are good trial firm with a superb list of lawyers.”
Nationally, McKool Smith is recognized as a leading law firm for intellectual property litigation. The publication also recognizes the firm as a leading firm in Texas for commercial litigation and intellectual property litigation, and as a leading firm in California for commercial litigation. In New York, McKool Smith is recognized as a leading firm for institutional plaintiffs in securities litigation, mainly RMBS.
The firm's Chambers USA ranked lawyers include:
- Sam Baxter: Intellectual Property Litigation (Nationwide); Trial Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation, and General Commercial Litigation (Texas)
- Douglas Cawley: Intellectual Property Litigation (Nationwide) (Texas)
- Gary Cruciani: General Commercial Litigation (Texas)
- Kirk Dillman: General Commercial Litigation (California)
- William LaFuze: Intellectual Property Litigation (Texas)
- Lew LeClair: General Commercial Litigation (Texas)
- Dan Levy: White Collar and Government Investigations (New York)
- Robert Manley: General Commercial Litigation (Texas)
- Nicholas Mathews: Intellectual Property Litigation (Texas)
- Mike McKool: Trial Lawyers and Intellectual Property Litigation (Nationwide); Trial Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation and General Commercial Litigation (Texas)
- Steven Pollinger: Intellectual Property Litigation (Texas)
- Hugh Ray: Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Texas)
- Robert Scheef: Securities: Institutional Plaintiffs: Mainly RMBS Litigation (New York)
- Courtney Statfeld: Securities: Institutional Plaintiffs: Mainly RMBS Litigation (New York)
Chambers USA is compiled by Chambers and Partners, a London-based publisher of guides to the world's leading law firms and lawyers. To compile the 2022 edition, researchers conducted more than 10,000 interviews with attorneys and business leaders from across the U.S. The final list can be viewed here.