J. Michael “Mike” Hennigan, a founding principal of McKool Smith’s Los Angeles office, was recently awarded the University of Arizona College of Law “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Honorees are selected by the law school’s faculty based on their distinguished and exemplary careers, contributions to the legal profession, support for public causes and law reform, and commitment to the pursuit of justice.
Mr. Hennigan specializes in the litigation and trial of complex commercial cases, and has been lead counsel in more than 45 major jury trials in state and federal court. As lead trial counsel for plaintiffs, he has litigated judgments and settlements of more than $8 billion for his clients.
Mr. Hennigan graduated with academic distinction from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1970. While attending law school, he served as Note and Comment Editor of the Arizona Law Review and earned recognition from the faculty as the Ralph Aigler Outstanding Student of the Class of 1970.
After graduating, Mr. Hennigan worked as a trial attorney with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He has litigated price fixing claims, securities fraud, bankruptcy, and complex contract disputes.
Mr. Hennigan is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top trial lawyers by prominent legal directories and rankings, including Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and Chambers Global, among others. He was also named the 2016 Best Lawyers real estate litigation "Lawyer of the Year" in Los Angeles, California, an honor that he won previously in 2012.
Mr. Hennigan is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyer, a member of the University of Arizona Board of Visitors, and a member of the American Law Institute. He has served in leadership positions in numerous state and national professional organizations, including the Judicial Council Task Force on Complex Civil Litigation, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.