United States (National)

McKool Smith stands out for the firm’s work in complex financial services, bankruptcy, commercial litigation, and patent disputes, with practitioners across New York City and Los Angeles handling matters of significant scale and impact. In New York City, Courtney Statfeld has been at the forefront of major RMBS and MBS litigation, securing a summary judgment victory affecting thousands of asset-backed securities backed by hundreds of billions of dollars in residential mortgages, while also helping shape the national framework for MBS disputes through trust instruction proceedings that have contributed to more than $1 billion in recoveries for investors and insurers. Reflecting on her work, one client noted: “She is a great communicator and deep thinker. I have some experience in the RMBS space and she was always available to answer questions I had and she was willing to listen to any comments or concerns. She is very detailed oriented and was a major contributor to the success of our case.”

Also in New York City, Dan Hendler has been active in high-stakes CMBS litigation involving a $300 million loan tied to a major Long Island City property, addressing key issues related to fiduciary duties, transparency, and investor protections. A client praised his approach, stating: “Dan is sharp as a tack. Can break a contract down like no one else. Super nice guy and a huge asset to the team.”

Fellow New York City practitioner Robert Scheef was part of the team that secured a precedent-setting appellate victory for UBS in a CMBS repurchase dispute, resulting in the dismissal of claims concerning a $27.2 million commercial mortgage loan and helping shape New York law in the area. One source described him as “an idea guy” who “recognizes things or thinks about things different than others.”

In Los Angeles, Michael Miguel is a key member of the firm’s commercial litigation and insurance practice, while Makenna Miller has contributed to the team representing the State of Texas in multibillion-dollar litigation against major pharmaceutical companies over alleged unlawful marketing and Medicaid-related misconduct.

New York City-based Kyle Lonergan has led substantial bankruptcy and restructuring matters, including litigation involving more than $375 million in alleged fraudulent dividend transfers connected to Tops Holding, alongside significant insurance recovery and fraudulent transfer disputes arising from the Endo, Rite Aid, and Instant Brands bankruptcies. James Smith has also played important roles in these trustee and bankruptcy-related matters, helping pursue hundreds of millions of dollars in claims involving insurance recoveries, fraudulent transfers, and pre-bankruptcy transactions.

Sources consistently praise the firm's litigation strategy, case outcomes, and client communication, noting that in the RMBS space the team has “made a big name for themselves,” adding that “they have a ton of experience, they are deep thinkers, and they are awesome at communicating with clients,” while another remarked that the firm “really gets into the details and knows that it takes effort / expense to win litigation.” The firm's recent work spans RMBS trust disputes, solvency litigation, contract disputes, defensive patent litigation, and patent infringement matters, with one commentator observing that “McKool Smith from a plaintiff's side, IP side, which is based in Austin, is always off the charts when it comes to any sort of patent litigation and IP litigation generally.”

Updated October 2026