McKool Smith Promotes Four; Boosts Headcount in New York

Trial firm McKool Smith has promoted a combined four attorneys to principal at its offices in Dallas and Austin and also added six lawyers to its New York office. Promoted to principal at  McKool Smith’s Dallas office are Darryl Burke and Garret Chambers; and in Austin, Laurie Gallun Fitzgerald and Joel Thollander have been elevated to principal.

In New York, McKool Smith announced that six experienced litigators have joined the office as associates. They are Sachin Bansal, John C. Briody, Yusuf A. Rangwala, Elizabeth Raskin, Kevin Schubert and James H. Smith. The additions bring the headcount at the firm’s New York office, which opened in late 2007, to 25 lawyers.

As for the new principals, Burke in Dallas is an IP litigator for a diverse array of clients, including patent infringement and trademark infringement claims, according to a firm press release. Chambers is a former federal district court clerk who handles complex commercial and patent litigation for companies in a wide array of industries.

In Austin, Fitzgerald is a former federal district court clerk who represents clients in IP and complex commercial litigation matters. Thollander focuses his practice on appeals and motions in complex cases. He previously served with the Attorney General of Texas’ Office of the Solicitor General.

McKool Smith is recognized as one of the premier trial law firms in the U.S. The firm has more than 120 attorneys in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Marshall, New York and Washington D.C.