Veronica Manning

Veronica is a principal in McKool Smith’s Houston office. She focuses on complex commercial and financial disputes, intellectual property litigation, and chapter 11 restructuring and bankruptcy-related litigation. She has represented clients in state and federal district and appellate courts as well as before the United States International Trade Commission. 

Her commercial litigation experience covers a range of industries, including energy, automotive, financial services, construction, and cybersecurity. She represents clients facing complex contractual disputes, including lease and royalty interpretation, bad faith insurance recovery, EPC contract litigation, and business divorces.

In the bankruptcy and restructuring space, she has represented debtors, creditors’ committees and creditors in complex Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, and litigation trustees in post-confirmation D&O litigation.

Veronica was named among the Top Most Active Attorneys Representing Complainants by the Patexis ITC Intelligence Report (2026), was recognized on the Benchmark “40 & Under List” for her bankruptcy work, and has been named on “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers in America (2021-2026).

Prior to joining McKool Smith, she was a judicial intern for the Honorable Edith H. Jones in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She also interned for Chief Justice Sherry Radack in the Texas First Court of Appeals.

• Defending the largest natural gas producer in the United States in multiple matters involving claims for underpayment of oil and gas royalties, including putative class action alleging failure to properly calculate and pay royalties on natural gas liquids.

• Representing electric power cooperative debtor in Chapter 11 proceedings on matters involving finance and banking agreements.

• Representing elite breeder of Akaushi cattle in dispute with breed association, resulting in $30 million jury verdict and findings of fraud, alter ego, conspiracy, and breach of contract.
• Represented Ericsson in reaching a confidential partial settlement with Lenovo in a global patent licensing dispute involving a multi-year cross-license agreement, resulting in the withdrawal of all pending litigation and administrative proceedings, including before the USITC.
• Representing developer of consumer vehicle financial service products in breach of contract litigation against subprime automobile lender.  
• Represented mineral interest owner against Sanchez Energy in breach of contract and gas royalty underpayment litigation.
• Represented the Office Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Lockwood Holdings, Inc. in Chapter 11 proceedings.
• Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Sneed Shipbuilding, Inc. in Chapter 11 proceedings.
• Represented liquidating trustee of Buccaneer Resources in breach of fiduciary duty claims exceeding $100 million against former directors and officers of Australian E&P company and its US subsidiaries.
• Represented the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in two RICO class actions defending against alleged involvement in the Allen Stanford $8 billion Ponzi scheme and related bankruptcies.  Obtained favorable ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on foreign sovereign immunity defenses.
• Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Linc Energy in Chapter 11 proceedings and related 363 sale of real property. Investigated post-bankruptcy litigation claims, including breach of fiduciary duty claims and fraudulent transfer and preference actions against former insiders
• Represented Freddie Mac in its $1.75 billion lawsuit against Deloitte, asserting auditor liability and negligent misrepresentation claims.
• Secured on behalf of Enterprise Financial Group to uphold a jury verdict in a contract dispute against Santander Consumer USA.

• Recognized among the "40 & Under" by Benchmark Litigation (2024)
• Recognized in Best Lawyers in America as "Ones to Watch" for Commercial and Bankruptcy Litigation, 2021-2026
• Named among the Top Most Active Attorneys Representing Complainants by the Patexia ITC Intelligence Report (2026)

• Houston Young Lawyers Association
• International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation
• Houston Young Bankruptcy Lawyers
• American Bankruptcy Institute