McKool Smith's Aimee Fagan and Ashley Moore Named "Top Women in IP" by Texas Lawyer

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Sep 21, 2020, 17:26 ET

DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- McKool Smith's Dallas-based principals Aimee Fagan and Ashley Moore have been recognized as 2020 "Top Women in IP" by Texas Lawyer. Only three lawyers in Texas received this prestigious award.

The Texas Legal Awards honor attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession in Texas—whether in shaping the law, achieving outsized results for their clients, being an outstanding jurist, or assisting those in need of legal services.

Aimee Fagan is a go-to lawyer for industry leaders looking for formidable representation in their most important disputes. Aimee recently served as lead counsel in securing a take-nothing trial victory for Halliburton against Legacy Separators, a former supplier asserting trade secret, contract, fraud, and patent infringement claims in the Southern District of Texas (Houston).

Aimee has led the Halliburton defense team for more than six years, passing through three federal judges, and including a related state court matter that was consolidated into the federal case. On March 20, 2020, after a two-week trial followed by a week of jury deliberations occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, Aimee's team obtained a defense verdict on all surviving trade secret, contract, and fraud claims. The jury also found in Halliburton's favor on one of three patent infringement claims but remained hung on two claims. The verdict and resulting Interlocutory Judgment on all decided claims resulted in no liability against Halliburton. A retrial is pending to determine the outstanding claims.

Ashley Moore has established herself as an exceptional advocate for patent-plaintiff clients. She has secured high-profile wins across the country involving technologies relevant everywhere from the operating room to the oilfield.

Ashley recently served as lead counsel for Dr. Ford Albritton IV in securing a critical victory before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit against medical device maker Acclarent, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary. The ruling affirmed a July 2018 decision that Ashley secured before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, which rejected Acclarent's argument that the apparatus and system claims in Dr. Albritton's sinuplasty patent are invalid. The patented technology that Albritton invented allows ENT surgeons to work with an all-in-one device with all the essential tools needed for balloon sinuplasty. Her jury trial for Dr. Albritton regarding his patent infringement, fraud, and breach of contract claims against Acclarent is set for March 2021. Ashley also served as a key member of the McKool Smith trial team that secured an $85 million patent damages verdict on behalf of WiLAN Inc. against Apple, Inc. in January 2020 following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

With 150 trial lawyers across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith is one of America's leading trial firms. Since 2006, the firm has secured 12 nine-figure jury verdicts and 14 eight-figure jury verdicts. The firm has also won more VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal "Top 100 Verdicts" over the last 10 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 The Wall 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, insurance recovery, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters.

Contact: Keith Hill, 903-923-9005

SOURCE McKool Smith