Mike McKool Named "Litigator of the Week" by The AmLaw Litigation Daily following Quincy Jones Verdict

DALLAS, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mike McKool, a founder and chairman of McKool Smith, was named "Litigator of the Week" by The AmLaw Litigation Daily following his success as lead trial counsel for legendary music producer Quincy Jones in securing a $9.4 million jury verdict against the Michael Jackson estate. Mr. Jones produced a number of the King of Pop's most acclaimed albums, including "Off the Wall," "Thriller," and "Bad."

The lawsuit centered on allegations that MJJ Productions Inc., which is controlled by Michael Jackson's estate, failed to pay Mr. Jones royalties for the soundtrack to "This Is It," a documentary that was released just months after Michael Jackson's death, and Jackson's Cirque du Soleil productions, which both feature several musical hits produced by Jones.

During an interview with The AmLaw Litigation Daily, Mr. McKool discussed the potential impact of the case: "This verdict is significant for the entertainment industry because the jury found that profits from the joint venture between the Jackson estate and the record company are subject to Quincy's royalty," Mr. McKool explained. "This is an important and needed protection for producers and other third party royalty holders."

Over the course of his 40-year career, Mike McKool has tried more than 100 jury trials and developed an enhanced understanding of the psychology that governs how juries decide cases.  His courtroom prowess has secured substantial verdicts, settlements, and defense rulings for a "who's who" of industry leaders, including major airlines, energy companies, telecommunications firms, investment banking houses, and industrial conglomerates, among many others. 

Mike McKool is consistently recognized as one of the country's leading trial lawyers by all of the major legal directories and rankings. He has been awarded Benchmark Litigation's "Lifetime Achievement Award," Texas Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Awards for both "Professional Excellence" and the "Top Verdicts Hall of Fame," and the Dallas Bar Association "Trial Lawyer of the Year" award. Mr. McKool has also been recognized as an "Icon of IP" and "Trial Ace" by Law360, who describes him as "one of the best closers in the business" and notes that "clients bring him in when a trial appears inevitable and they can't afford to lose."  Mr. McKool is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been selected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to serve on the Federal Circuit Advisory Council.

With more than 180 trial lawyers across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America's leading trial firms. Since 2006, the firm has secured ten nine-figure jury verdicts and ten eight-figure jury verdicts. The firm has also won more VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal "Top 100 Verdicts" over the last ten years than any other law firm in the country. Courtroom successes like these have earned McKool Smith critical acclaim and helped the firm become what TheWall Street Journal describes as "one of the biggest law firm success stories of the past decade." McKool Smith represents clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters.

For more information, please contact Michael R. Coston (212) 402-9450 or mcoston@mckoolsmith.com.

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