Just recognized in The National Law Journal for winning more of the country's Top 100 verdicts than any other law firm for two years running, McKool Smith is continuing the firm's push as a national litigation powerhouse with the promotion of four attorneys to principals and the addition of six experienced lawyers in the firm's rapidly growing New York office.

New principals  Laurie Gallun Fitzgerald and Joel Thollander practice in McKool Smith's Austin office, and  Darryl Burke and Garret Chambers practice in Dallas. In New York, the firm has added Sachin Bansal, John C. Briody, Yusuf A. Rangwala, Elizabeth Raskin, Kevin Schubert and James H. Smith as associates.

With the latest additions, the firm now has 25 attorneys practicing in New York after opening the office in late 2007. New York principal Hugh Ray, who also practices in McKool Smith's Houston location, recently was featured in a story published by The Wall Street Journal that examines how firms like McKool Smith are increasing their bankruptcy litigation workload because of the many client conflicts faced by larger law firms.