D Magazine dubbed it "The Good Ol' Girls Club" when some of the city's most talented big-law-firm attorneys(who happened to be female) got together and hung a shingle back in 2008. Wrote D Magazine at the time: Even in 2008, a woman-owned firm in the male-dominated Dallas legal landscape is notable. The ladies' new venture is one of only a handful of women-owned firms in the state and an anomaly locally.

Who knew what was on the economic horizon for new businesses in 2008, but Taber Estes Thorne & Carr charged through 2009, steadily adding new attorneys and clients along the way. The firm reached an important milestone this month - with the addition of associate Kevin Muenster, Taber Estes is no longer a law firm composed solely of female lawyers. Firm co-founder Jessica Thorne says Muenster's arrival should be a surprise considering they've been committed to diversity from the start.

A graduate of Sam Houston State University and Baylor Law School, Mr. Muenster previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Anne Gardner of the Second Court of Appeals of Texas in Fort Worth. He also worked at two respected Dallas-area firms prior to joining Taber Estes Thorne & Carr. "We know that great lawyers come in all different shapes, sizes, genders, colors, nationalities and backgrounds, and we never intended this to be an all-female firm," says Thorne.

Elizabeth Durso Branch was well on her way to making a name for herself in the world of Family Law by the time she arrived at McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing in 2004. By then, she had already put in time as a prosecutor in Bexar County, an assistant county attorney in Guadalupe County and served more than four years as an assistant attorney general in the AG's child support litigation division. At the AG's office Elizabeth penned the brief that led to the adoption of a com community caretaking exception by the 4th Court of Appeals in Ortega v. State, 974 S.W.2d 361 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1998).

At McCurley Orsinger, Betsy has built a strong practice, often focusing on cases that include issues involving the well-being of children caught in the middle of divorce disputes. She and other McCurley Orsinger attorneys took the lead in the unprecedented pro bono effort representing hundreds of minors removed by authorities following the 2008 federal raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch in West Texas. Firm founder Mike McCurley announced today that Betsy is the firm's newest partner. "Betsy has always been a staunch advocate for her clients in and out of the courtroom," McCurley says. "That tenacity has earned her the respect of her clients and peers, and helped make her an invaluable member of our firm. We are very pleased to be able to introduce her as a partner."

Commercial bankruptcy has been one of 2009's hot spots in the legal industry, and McKool Smith's new bankruptcy practice group continues to expand with some of the industry's top legal minds. After forming its bankruptcy group and opening Houston offices led by noted bankruptcy specialist Hugh Ray, the firm has hired bankruptcy litigator Basil A. Umari. 

Umari, who comes to the firm from Andrews Kurth, represents debtors, creditor committees, secured and unsecured creditors, and other parties in virtually every type of bankruptcy proceeding. He has represented clients from a variety of industries, including banks, oil and gas producers, healthcare entities, ship manufacturers, and many others.

Seems like ancient history now but way back in March 2008, the Wall Street Journal described bankruptcy as the "hottest growth sector" for law firms. That remains true today. Said the WSJ at the time: A survey of more than 300 attorneys from the country's largest law firms found that a plurality -- one out of every four -- expects bankruptcy law to be the fastest area of growth in the next 12 months. That number exceeds the tally of attorneys who think litigation or corporate governance will be hot growth areas.

When the dust settles on the worldwide economic crisis, national litigation firm McKool Smith will have almost certainly emerged as one of the firms that seized opportunities during difficult times and managed to strengthen its position and grow in stature along the way. In addition to a regular stream of head-turning jury verdicts and the opening of now-bustling offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, the firm has now added a national bankruptcy practice and hired some of the country's most respected bankruptcy veterans.

Noted bankruptcy attorney Hugh M. Ray leads McKool Smith's bankruptcy practice and will devide his time between the firm's New York and Houston offices. Joining him are bankruptcy veterans Peter S. Goodman and Paul D. Moak, who will work out of the New York and Houston offices, respectively. All three attorneys previously practiced with Andrews Kurth, where Mr. Ray led the firm's national bankruptcy practice. Also joining the group as a principal is Hugh M. Ray, III, a bankruptcy attorney previously with Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski & Zuber in Houston. The firm expects to add several more bankruptcy attorneys by the end of 2009.

In a career spanning four decades, Mr. Ray has played key roles in some of the coutnry's most recognizable bankruptcy proceedings, including matters involving Lyondell Petrochemical, First Republic Bank Corp., Continental Airlines, Semcrude, L.P., First City Bancorporation, Power Company of America L.L.C., L. Tersigni Consulting, and many others. In addition to making several appearances before Congress to testify on proposed amendments to the Federal Bankruptcy Code, Mr. Ray also has served in leadership positions with many notable bankruptcy and business groups, including serving as Chairman of the Business Bankruptcy Committee for the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Business Law Section, Chairman of the ABA Energy Business Committee, and member of the ABA Standing Committee on Judicial Selection, Tenure and Compensation. Prior to his work in private practice, Mr. Ray worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Houston.

"Hugh Ray is one of the top bankruptcy lawyers in the nation, and we are proud to have him lead our firm into this growing area of the law," says Mike McKool, co-founder of McKool Smith. "Hugh and the rest of his team are known nationwide for their work in some of the country's most significant bankruptcy matters. When we realized we had the opportunity to bring in Hugh and his group, this was an easy decision."

Mr. Ray says the move to McKool Smith is based on several factors. "It's no secret that McKool Smith has some of the finest courtroom lawyers anywhere, which is one of the main reasons we decided to join the firm," says Mr. Ray. "I'm also very excited about helping the firm build a world-class bankruptcy practice."

Mr. Goodman has represented clients in complex bankruptcies for more than 20 years, including Adelphia Communications Corp., KCS Energy Inc., Bank of New England Corp., Semcrude, L.P., First City Bancorporation, Power Company of America L.L.C., L. Tersigni Consulting and PSINet Consulting Solutions Holdings, Inc., and many others. He has been recognized as one of the state's top bankruptcy lawyers in New York Super Lawyers magazine. 

Mr. Moak has been involved in a wide range of complex Chapter 11 cases. In his practice, he has represented debtors, secured lenders, creditor committees and equity committees in bankruptcy reorganization proceedings, as well as bankruptcy-related litigation matters. He possesses particular expertise in the energy, health care, chemicals, and aviation industries. 

Mr. Ray III represents publicly traded companies who successfully reorganize in bankruptcy and major creditors in their collection from complex bankruptcies. He often acts as a trial attorney in adversary proceedings before the bankruptcy court.

Just two years after establishing an office in New York City, McKool Smith continues to expand and now counts 21 attorneys in New York with the addition of trial-tested litigator Kyle Lonergan. Mr. Lonergan joins McKool Smith from the firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and white collar matters, and he has litigated high profile cases in a number of areas, including securities, antitrust, insurance coverage and breach of contract.
Mr. Lonergan has represented clients throughout all phases of litigation, including trial and arbitration, and in connection with investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He will continue his work in these areas at McKool Smith, including handling matters with the firm's International White Collar practice led by firm principals Jack Cooney and Tom Engel.
Mr. Lonergan maintains an active pro bono practice in the environmental field. He has represented the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups for the past decade in litigation that has resulted in significant protections for some of the country's most important national parks, including Everglades National Park in Florida and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

History has proven that industry leaders often emerge during tough economic times. Regarding the legal biz in 2009, one of those appears to be McKool Smith. The growing firm's latest coup: selection as one of 20 firms across the U.S. highlighted in The National Law Journal's first-ever "Midsize Hot List."

In selecting McKool Smith, NLJ editors noted the firm's successful expansion into Washington, D.C., and New York City during the past two years, as well as several high-profile lateral attorneys in core practice areas of commercial litigation, white collar litigation and intellectual property litigation.

Noting that midsize firms "have proven more agile than their bigger competitors," the NLJ staff also highlighted the firm's incredible trial performance last year, earning four of the Top 100 verdicts of 2008, more than any law firm of any size in the nation. The publication also details McKool Smith is on the forefront of meeting client demands by offering cutting-edge alternate billing arrangements and fee structures that do not rely on hourly billing.

Vogel Alcove provides a range of free services for homeless infants, preschool children and under privileged families in North Texas. McKool Smith has been a proud sponsor of the organization for 15 years. The Vogel Alcove is the only comprehensive early childhood education program in the city of Dallas whose primary focus is to provide free services for homeless children who face multiple developmental risks.  Because of the Alcove’s 21-year legacy providing quality, licensed childcare and social services for children victimized by homelessness, 18 area affiliated homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, and housing programs depend on the Alcove to provide services to the homeless families at their shelters.

"We are privileged to support an organization that serves such a vital role in helping those in our community who are perhaps least likely to have means to support themselves - the children of homeless families," says Mike McKool, co-founder of McKool Smith. Tickets for tonight's concert are still available through the TITAS box office at 214-528-5576 or through the Vogel Alcove Web site, http://www.vogelalcove.org/.

Reports of the demise of asbestos litigation have apparently been greatly exaggerated. At The Lanier Law Firm, at least, asbestos, mesothelioma and mass toxic torts are a growing practice area. The Houston-based firm is dramatically expanding its Asbestos Litigation Group, hiring six attorneys and adding 14,000 square feet of office space.

Firm founder  Mark Lanier says the decision to expand the asbestos practice is based on a practical examination of market conditions and the current legal climate. "The terrible legacy of asbestos exposure continues to impact thousands of families every year, and we want people to know that they have a strong advocate at The Lanier Law Firm in every type of asbestos claim."

The firm has hired asbestos litigators M. Clay Fostel, formerly of Houston's Heard Robins Cloud Black & Lubel, and William H. Barfield, previously with Houston's Smith & Hassler, are joining the firm along with C. Jason Lindamood, formerly an assistant district attorney for Wharton County; Benjamin Pyle, formerly with Houston's RAS Inc.; and recent South Texas College of Law graduates Matthew McFarlane and Lauren Ware. With these new additions, the firm now has 20 lawyers working in its Asbestos Litigation Group.

With offices in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Houston and New York, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions in courtrooms across the country. The firm is composed of outstanding trial attorneys with decades of experience handling cases involving pharmaceutical liability, asbestos exposure, intellectual property, business litigation, product liability, toxic exposure and maritime law. For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 214-559-4630 or bruce@androvett.com.

One firm really stands out on this year's list. With four cases making the 2008 list, Dallas-based McKool Smith claims more Top 100 verdicts than any other firm of any size anywhere. This is just the latest indication that something's really going on at this lawfirm, which only recently expanded Washington, D.C., and New York. The four verdicts highlighted on the Top 100 list include:

At No. 12: Medtronic Vascular Inc. v. Boston Scientific Scimed Inc. In this May 2008 verdict, McKool Smith won a $250 million award for Medtronic, successfully arguing that Boston Scientific infringed on a patent for a series of Medtronic catheters used in surgical procedures to treat heart disease.

At No.36: Pioneer Corp. v. Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. McKool Smith and co-counsel from Morrison & Foerster secured a $59 million verdict in October 2008 in a patent infringement trial against Samsung. The case centered around technology used in plasma televisions.

At No. 74: Adderley v. National Football League Players Association. Back in November 2008, the firm and co-counsel from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips obtained a $28 million jury award for more than 2,000 former NFL players alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary responsibility. The retired players argued that they were not adequately compensated for licensing and marketing proceeds from NFL-themed video games, jerseys and other merchandise.

At No. 100:  Anascape Ltd. v. Microsoft Corp. Representing Anascape Ltd. against Nintendo of America Inc., McKool Smith attorney successfully argued that Nintendo had infringed on Anascape's patents for various video game controllers sold by Nintendo. The jury awarded Anascape $21 million.

Additionally, McKool Smith is featured in a companion article in The National Law Journal, "Minding their manners; McKool Smith finds that politeness is the way to a jury's heart," which highlighted each of the firm's four major victories. For more information, please visit www.mckoolsmith.com or contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.

McKool Smith expanding white-collar practice in growing New York office.
While law firms everywhere are contracting, some are finding opportunity in the downturn. Look at  McKool Smith, which is already adding to its New York offices that

Both attorneys are former standout federal prosecutors who served together in the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and each has gone on to successful careers in private practice representing corporate, multinational and individual clients. The two are close friends who each serve as godfathers to the daughter of the other. Additionally, each was in direct talks with McKool Smith when they realized that the other was also in talks about beefing up the firm's white-collar practice.

"Jack Cooney and Tom Engel give our clients access to the very top tier of white-collar and commercial representation at a time when these matters are not merely proliferating, but growing more complex and absolutely crucial to our clients' future," said Mike McKool, the firm's co-founder. He added that a special benefit to the new partners is the relative absence of client conflicts which often inhibit flexibility in representing important clients at larger traditional firms.

Said New York office head Robert A. Cote, "We're growing fast in IP and commercial litigation, as are all our offices, but we expect robust growth in our business and our roster of attorneys over the next year, and the white collar practice is part of the bedrock of our expansion strategy here."

Mr. Ward, meanwhile, handles general commercial litigation and transactional law on behalf of real estate developers, business owners and individuals. He is a licensed CPA who has worked with municipalities in areas such as code enforcement and bulding standards, as well as litigation related to sales transactions, tenant complaints, construction disputes and fiduciary matters.

The firm has grown steadily in size and expertise, and the Austin expansion provides a significant boost in the areas of public policy and public finance, says founding partner John C. Shackelford. Shackelford, Melton & McKinley, LLP, is a business and commercial law firm representing financial institutions, real estate owners and developers, automobile dealerships, and businesses in legal matters across the nation. For more information, contact Barry Pound at 800-559-4534 or barry@androvett.com.

What a year it's been for McKool Smith, PC. The big verdicts just keep coming. Just this week, the firm won a $59 million patent infringement verdict on behalf of Tokyo-

Earlier this year, the firm won a $21 million patent infringement verdict on behalf of Tyler, Texas, based technology company Anascape against Nintendo in a fight over patents used in video game controllers like the Wii and Gamecube. In May, McKool Smith attorneys won a $250 million patent infringement verdict for Medtronic against Boston Scientific relating to a balloon catheter patent used in the surgical treatment of heart disease. In June, the firm reached an $83 million settlement for i2 Technologies in a patent dispute against SAP AG.

Senior attorneys at Gardere Wynne Sewell quickly establish Financial Crisis Recovery Team 
While some would prefer to burry their heads in the sand until this epic financial turmoil is over, for an example of how some law firms are reacting nimbly, consider Gardere Wynne Sewell's creation of its multi-disciplinary Financial Crisis Recovery

The firm's business and litigation attorneys are already working together on tasks including problem loans, debt restructuring, securities violations, tax issues, government contracts, employment law, breached contracts, and investigations and crisis management. Senior attorneys on the team are able to response to clients affected by the global crisis from every conceivable scenario. Cliff Risman, chair of Gardere's Business Department, notes that it's hard to understand the impact that this crisis on businesses and individuals. "This is more than a financial crisis - it poses fundamental challenges to the foundations and integrity of business operations," he says.

The awards ceremony is still weeks away, but the cat's out of the bag. Dallas attorney Charla G. Aldous is the American Board of Trial Advocates' Trial Lawyer of the

Young Dalton Sherman is on a roll. After winning the the 16th annual Gardere Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition with a speech about community involvement that ended with the closing line: "...a drum major with no band is just a

"I'm very pleased that we have been able to move quickly to resume a level of normal business operations," Houston managing partner Dallas Parker said. "Our attorneys already have been able to respond to some pressing business demands of our clients related to the current issues in the financial markets as well as to offer counsel on matters stemming from Hurricane Ike. Like thousands of others in the areas affected, many of our Houston employees are coping with the personal needs of their homes and families... We are encouraging our workforce to continue working remotely and follow the direction of local and state officials in safely returning to downtown."

Who would have thought pre-2001 that the small east Texas town of Marshall would become the epicenter of some of the most complex and high stakes patent law

The current state of the economy is causing all kinds of expansion and contraction in the legal world. At Munck Carter, P.C., the firm sees an opportunity to boost its

All three have impeccable credentials. House concentrates her practice in the areas of trademark, copyright, franchising and licensing and counsels clients ranging from restaurants, retail establishments, engineering firms, software companies, wireless service providers and non-profit organizations. Pham focuses on intellectual property portfolio development and patent enforcement, representing clients before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Roe's practice centers around intellectual property portfolio development and intellectual property litigation. He represents clients in various high-tech industries, including polymer chemistry, medical imaging devices, computer hardware and software, and semiconductor devices.

Munck Carter, P.C. has carved out a practice devoted to trials, transactions and technology. With offices in Dallas and Marshall, Texas, the firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of complex commercial litigation, intellectual property management and protection, corporate transactions and securities, and employment matters. Munck Carter represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 500^TM companies.

At McKool Smith, firm principals Doug Cawley, Ted Stevenson and Robert Manley of Dallas; Gordon White and Steve Pollinger of Austin; and Robert Cote of New York are included for their work in intellectual property litigation.

At Gardere, Dallas partners Kenneth R. Glaser, Andre M. Szuwalski and Peter S. Vogel were recognized for their intellectual property work, while Houston partner Jeffrey S. Davis was featured for his civil litigation defense work.

Attorney Kathleen Campbell Walker has long been an important voice in the national debate over immigration reform through more than 20 years working as an El Paso

A distinguished crowd was on hand as Thompson & Knight partner Jorge G. De Presno-Arizpe was inaugurated as President of the Inter-American Bar Association during a

Mr. De Presno focuses his practice on advising corporations on labor, employment, and Social Security law, including privatization procedures for public corporations. He also has broad experience in collective bargaining negotiations and strike procedures, labor litigation, and counseling at both the state and federal levels.

Intellectual property attorneys at Dallas-based McKool Smith, PC have reached an $83.3 million settlement on behalf of Dallas-based inventory management software

For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 800.559.4534 or bruce@androvett.com.

Reporters and editors at the Dallas Business Journal recently set out to answer a variation of one of the eternal questions that inevitably surfaces when two or more attorneys are present at a cocktail party: Who's the best business-litigation defense attorney out there?

The 2008 list of "The Defenders"(subscription only) in this week's edition was compiled based on outside nominations followed by an internal vetting by the DBJ staff.

Congratulations to this year's honorees:

Rodney Acker, Fulbright & Jaworski
Chris Akin, Carrington Coleman
Jerry Beane, Andrews Kurth
George Bramblett, Haynes and Boone
Trey Cox, Lynn Tillotson Pinker & Cox
David Elrod, Elrod PLLC
Gregory Huffman, Thompson & Knight
Kenneth Johnston, Kane Russell Coleman & Logan
James Jordan, Munsch Hardt
Lewis LeClair, McKool Smith
Tom Melsheimer, Fish & Richardson
Retta Miller, Jackson Walker
Yvette Ostolaza, Weil Gotshal & Manges
Joel Reese, Winstead PC
Marcos Ronquillo, Godwin Pappas & Ronquillo