J. Michael Hennigan, a founding Principal of McKool Smith Hennigan, will be presented with the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Shattuck-Price “Outstanding Lawyer Award” at LACBA’s Anniversary & Awards Gala on September 27, 2018.
The Shattuck-Price Outstanding Lawyer Award is presented to a lawyer or lawyers who have shown extraordinary dedication to the high principles of the legal profession and to improving the administration of justice in Los Angeles County.
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 amounting to more than $8 billion for his clients. Mr. Hennigan’s recent successes include two high-profile courtroom victories over the past year that have garnered international media attention, including serving as a member of the McKool Smith trial team that secured a $9.4 million jury verdict on behalf of legendary music producer Quincy Jones in a breach of contract and royalty dispute against the late music icon Michael Jackson’s production company, MJJ Productions Inc. He also helped secure jury awards of $10 million in punitive damages and $5 million in legal fees for his client The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles and the California Institute of the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary against developer Dana Hollister who attempted to interfere with the Archbishop’s $14.5 million deal to sell a former convent to international pop star Katy Perry and her company, The Bird Nest LLC.
Mr. Hennigan is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top trial lawyers by prominent legal directories, including Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and Chambers Global. In the 2018 edition of Chambers USA, he is ranked as one of the leading commercial litigators in California and one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers. The publication describes him as an "unbelievably good lawyer," and notes that his "reputation as a skilled advocate and wise counselor is unsurpassed." Mr. Hennigan has also been named the Best Lawyers 2016 real estate litigation "Lawyer of the Year" in Los Angeles, an honor that he won previously in 2012. Last year, he received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the University of Arizona College of Law.
Mr. Hennigan is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, 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, where he has held numerous roles, including Trustee, Chair and Treasurer of the Litigation Section, among others. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Homeboy Industries.
With more than 185 trial lawyers across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America’s leading trial firms. Since 2006, the firm has secured ten nine-figure jury verdicts and twelve eight-figure jury verdicts. The firm has also won more VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal "Top 100 Verdicts" over the last ten years than any other law firm in the country. Courtroom successes like these have earned McKool Smith critical acclaim and helped the firm become what The Wall Street Journal describes as “one of the biggest law firm success stories of the past decade.” McKool Smith represents clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, insurance recovery, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters.