McKool Smith has been recognized as one of the nation's leading patent litigation firms by Managing IP in its 2026 "IP Stars" guide. The firm also earned a "Highly Recommended" ranking for patent litigation in Texas.
In addition to the firm's recognition, seven McKool Smith principals were individually named "IP Stars" for 2026:
- Josh Budwin, Austin
- Erik Fountain, Dallas
- Bill LaFuze, Houston
- Warren Lipschitz, Dallas
- Nicholas Mathews, Dallas
- Steven Pollinger, Austin
- Jennifer Truelove, Marshall
"IP Stars" provides both a national and state-by-state analysis of leading law firms and attorneys who excel in intellectual property matters. The research is based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of surveys of partners at U.S. law firms. Managing IP magazine is a Euromoney Legal Media Group publication.