MCKOOL SMITH
McKool Smith has long been synonymous with Texas trial horsepower, and the firm is in transition mode, with numerous younger stars taking the reins.
Travis DeArman represents plaintiffs and defendants in commercial and intellectual property litigation. DeArman currently represents Ericsson in a patent-infringement suit worth tens of millions.
Kevin Hess is an IP litigator who specializes in cases involving standard essential patents. He is defending Ericsson against the University of Minnesota. The University alleges the infringement of five patents related to 4G and 5G base stations.
Veronica Manning’s practice features complex commercial litigation. She has extensive experience with bankruptcy and represents both debtors and creditors in complex chapter 11 cases. She has particular interest in oil and gas disputes. Manning is one of the principles counseling two former directors of Basic Energy Services accused of fiduciary breach claims clients for alleged pre-bankruptcy actions.
James Quigley, a trial lawyer, works out of the Austin office of McKool Smith. He is a commercial litigator with special expertise in patents and technology. Quigley is among the principals representing the Palo Alto Research Center in multi-patent case against Facebook, Twitter, and Snap involving advertising and social media technologies.
Alexandra Easley is a Principal in McKool Smith's Dallas office. Before joining the firm, she was a jury and trial consultant working on high-profile cases and focus groups. She is on the team that represents Nokia in a global patent dispute against Amazon and HP.
HICKS THOMAS
Colin Watterson of Hicks Thomas is active in business litigation representing entities and individuals in a range of commercial and complex disputes. Watterson's casework is often centered around energy, real estate, and technology industries.
MCGINNIS LOCHRIDGE
Austin Brister is a Houston-based partner at Texas energy powerhouse McGinnis Lochridge, where he focuses on complex business litigation and oil and gas disputes, transactions, acquisitions, and divestitures. Commercial litigator
William Grubb is recognized for his experience representing clients in energy and oil-and-gas disputes. Grubb also spends time representing companies in business-related litigation including trademarks, non-competition agreements, financial transactions, and fiduciary litigation actions.
FISHMAN HAYGOOD
Fishman Haygood's New Orleans flagship is spawning some of Louisiana's most promising young talent.
Daniel Dysart attends to cases in commercial and environmental law. He is currently representing Transocean a drilling rig operator against claims of personal injury because of the 2010 BP Oil Spill.
Blair Schilling focuses on handling environmental litigation, primarily against oil and gas companies. She is a lead lawyer representing the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries against several pipeline companies for their allegedly failing to maintain the land. Rebekka Veith's practice includes class action, insurance coverage, and environmental litigation. Veith represents the plaintiffs against the company of the Limetree Bay Refinery in St. Croix in a putative class action filed after emission events caused significant contamination to the island.
REID COLLINS & TSAI
The trial-forward shop Reid Collins & Tsai has its roots in Texas, with a group of young, 40 and under stars keeping the edge sharp and the hunger strong. One of the firm’s bankruptcy and commercial litigation specialists,
Keith Cohan handles cases in both practice areas, particularly when they overlap. Cohan has investigated and pursued litigation against the former directors, officers, and professionals of Insys Therapeutics, including an investigation into a highly regarded law firm. Cohan and the team were successful in obtaining confidential settlements with the defendants. Commercial litigator Ryan Goldstein was one of the partners who investigated and pursued litigation against the former directors, officers, and professionals of Insys Therapeutics, including an investigation into a highly regarded law firm. The team was successful in obtaining confidential settlements with the defendants.
Yonah Jaffe of Reid Collins & Tsai routinely represents clients in complex financial litigation with notable emphasis in bankruptcy actions and insolvency proceedings. His bankruptcy roots have laid a solid foundation in his time as a commercial litigator, working on behalf of plaintiffs, defendants, bankruptcy trustees, liquidators, and creditors in a variety of matters in state and federal courts. He recently achieved a $12 million settlement on behalf of a Trustee for the estate with Dura Automotive Services. Scott Saldaña represents plaintiffs in lawsuits involving financial fraud and commercial claims, or in disputes across the border. In a fraud-related bankruptcy case, Saldaña wqs part of a team that brought a lawsuit on behalf of Claymore Holdings against Credit Suisse, arising from a fraudulent appraisal that greatly overvalued a development project in Las Vegas. The long-running case has been up to the Texas Supreme Court, and most recently, the Dallas Court of Appeals, which affirmed the fraud judgment from an earlier jury verdict. The case remains ongoing on other issues.
HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH
Hunton's roots in the South run deep, and the firm continues augmenting these roots with young talent. Out of the Houston office,
Joe Buoni maintains a practice combining his commercial and bankruptcy litigation experience, allowing him to handle a wide range of cases for clients in the energy and financial sectors.
Kelsey Hope’s focus is complex commercial disputes with an emphasis in the managed care industry. She represents clients both as plaintiffs and defendants. Hope was on the team that secured a victory for the Rite Aid Corporation against litigation brought by a group of insurance and pharmacy benefit companies seeking more than $100 million from the national pharmacy chain for allegedly overcharging for prescription medications. In Miami,
Andrea DeField focuses on recovering insurance funds. She also leads Hunton's cyber insurance practice. DeField was a lead on the team that secured a victory for United States Sugar Corporation. US Sugar’s insurer refused to provide coverage for the expenses incurred in defending a bet-the-company environmental case regarding its practice of “cane-burning.” The court found that the policy covered the cane-burning action and that the insurer owed US Sugar over $6.5 million in defense expenses. In Hunton's Richmond office, Merideth Daly concentrates on major toxic and environmental tort litigation. She also works on product liability matters and consumer class actions. Daly is currently involved in multiple product liability and mass tort cases, which are currently confidential. John Schronce focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities class actions, corporate governance, and complex civil litigation. He is the lead or involved in multiple confidential cases involving securities and trademark infringement.
