McKool Smith Opens Silicon Valley Office

DALLAS, May 3, 2012 - McKool Smith, one of the nation’s leading trial firms, is announcing the opening of the firm’s new Silicon Valley office with the addition of powerhouse intellectual property trial lawyer Courtland Reichman.

“Courtland is a uniquely talented trial lawyer with a stellar track record. He is a perfect match for the firm and will be an invaluable asset to our clients,” said Mike McKool, co-founder and Chairman of McKool Smith. “We represent many leading innovators and technology companies in high-stakes patent disputes. Silicon Valley continues to be the hub of technological innovation. This expansion will better position the firm to meet our clients’ needs in the region.”

The move into Silicon Valley marks the firm’s eighth office and second in California. In September 2011, the members of Hennigan Dorman, a Los Angeles-based trial firm, joined McKool Smith. This added 35 trial lawyers to McKool Smith’s roster and expanded the firm’s intellectual property (IP) litigation and commercial litigation practices to the West Coast. McKool Smith conducts business in California as McKool Smith Hennigan.

Mr. Reichman is a trial lawyer who represents clients in high-stakes patent and Lanham Act litigation, as well as a broad range of intellectual property and commercial disputes. He has appeared in state and federal courts across the country and before the International Trade Commission (ITC). Mr. Reichman’s appellate practice includes more than 20 federal appellate arguments, including arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit. A Chambers-ranked lawyer, Mr. Reichman has been recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the ‘Top 40 under 40’ lawyers in the U.S. He earned his law degree, with honors, from Emory University School of Law, and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

“McKool Smith is an elite trial firm with an unparalleled track record in intellectual property disputes. When you look at the firm’s growth and success over the past five years, it’s truly remarkable,” said Mr. Reichman. “I am excited to join such a formidable group of trial lawyers and look forward to building the firm’s presence in Silicon Valley."

Mr. Reichman will be joined by Principal Jill Wasserman and Senior Counsel Sarah Jorgensen.

Ms. Wasserman is an intellectual property trial lawyer who has worked on patent, trademark, and false advertising cases for more than a decade. She earned her law degree, summa cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law, where she served on the editorial board of the GSU Law Review. Ms. Wasserman served as a law clerk for the former Chief Judge of the Northern District of Georgia prior to entering private practice.

Ms. Jorgensen served as a clerk for both U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and the Hon. Lawrence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She also served as a Trial Attorney with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Ms. Jorgensen brings her unique appellate skills to bear on a wide range of matters, both at the trial and appellate levels in complex tort, commercial, and intellectual property litigation. She earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

McKool Smith was founded in Dallas in 1991 by Mike McKool and Phil Smith. In 1996, the firm expanded into Marshall, in the Eastern District of Texas, which would soon establish a reputation as a rocket docket for patent infringement cases. McKool Smith prepared for the patent litigation boom by opening an office in Austin in 2000 and launching an intellectual property litigation practice. The firm enhanced its IP litigation practice with the addition of an International Trade Commission litigation practice and a Washington, DC office in 2007. That same year, the firm opened an office in New York and added a white collar defense practice. In 2009, McKool Smith expanded into bankruptcy litigation with the opening of its Houston office. With the expansion into California, McKool Smith has solidified its national footprint from coast to coast.

With more than 170 litigators across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC, McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America’s leading trial firms. The firm has won more National Law Journal and VerdictSearch “Top 100 Verdicts” over the last five years than any other law firm. In 2012, the firm was named intellectual property “Firm of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation, and previously was recognized as “IP Firm of the Year” by Law360. McKool Smith represents leading clients across a broad range of practice areas, including complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense.