McKool Smith's patent litigation on behalf of i4i Inc. literally brought Microsoft's flagship software, Microsoft Word, to it's knees in the last half of 2009. Just days before Christmas 2009, a federal upheld the judgment, tacked on an additional $90 million in damages and interest and ordered an injunction on the sales of Word.

That monumental case alone may have been enough to place McKool Smith on Law 360's list of the top six IP Firms of the Year. But as is custom for this growing and dynamic firm, 2009 was full of important patent cases. Besides the Microsoft verdict, Law 360 also noted the firm's $139 million verdict for Versata Software Inc against enterprise software provider SAP, a $267.5 million settlement for Visto Corp. against Blackberry maker Research in Motion and a $19 million verdict for OPTi Inc. against Apple Inc.

The Law 360 selection is only the latest honor for McKool Smith, which also represents clients in commercial litigation, white collar investigations and defense, and bankruptcy matters. The firm recently was recognized in Corporate Counsel magazine as a 2010 "Go-To Law Firm" for Fortune 500 companies. McKool Smith also was named to the inaugural "Midsize Hot List" published in The National Law Journal, and recognized in the same publication for winning more of the Top 100 U.S. Verdicts than any other law firm in the nation during the most recent survey period.