McKool Smith principal Sam Baxter has been awarded the Texas Lawyer 2016 “Lifetime Achievement Award” for Professional Excellence. The honor recognizes lawyers who have made their mark on the legal profession in the Lone Star State.
Sam Baxter’s unique ability to connect with jurors and skillfully cross-examine witnesses has helped him secure significant verdicts for clients, including four verdicts which have been recognized in The National Law Journal’s annual listing of “Top 100 Verdicts.” He is consistently recognized among the top lawyers in his field by many of the country’s leading legal publications and rankings, including Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Lawdragon. In January, he was recognized as an "Icon of IP" by Law360 based on his reputation and success in high-profile patent infringement disputes. Last year, Mr. Baxter was profiled in Law360’s “Trial Aces” special feature, which recognized the Top 50 trial lawyers in the United States. The publication noted that Mr. Baxter has a “charm” and an “ability to touch the hearts of jurors.” This same year, he was awarded 2015 "Outstanding IP Litigator - Texas" by Managing IP, and included in Benchmark Litigation's listing of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America.” Law360 has recognized Mr. Baxter as one of the "10 Most Admired Intellectual Property Attorneys" in the country, and he was recently named the 2016 Best Lawyers patent litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Tyler, Texas.