McKool Smith scored high marks in the 2021 edition of Chambers USA, which recognizes the firm as an industry leader in commercial litigation, intellectual property, securities litigation, and white collar crime & government investigations. Additionally, 13 of the firm's trial lawyers are recognized as leaders in their respective areas of practice.
Market commentators noted "I can’t tell you how happy we are with their work. They are smart, hard-working and their written work product is excellent", and "they are incredible trial attorneys with a lot of experience trying cases." Another source stated “They have some very talented folks.”
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 and white collar crime and government investigations.
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)
- Kirk Dillman: General Commercial Litigation (California)
- J. Michael Hennigan: Commercial Litigation (California)
- William LaFuze: Intellectual Property Litigation (Texas)
- Lew LeClair: General Commercial Litigation (Texas)
- Dan Levy: White Collar and Government Investigations (New York)
- 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 2021 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.