Veteran International Trial Lawyer Tom Bayko Joins McKool Smith

HOUSTON, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- McKool Smith, one of America's leading trial firms, announced today that veteran trial lawyer Tom Bayko has joined the firm as a principal in its Houston and New York offices. Mr. Bayko's practice focuses on cross-border litigation and arbitration, with a particular emphasis on disputes in the energy and financial institution sectors. His arrival adds yet another layer of specialization to McKool Smith's formidable roster of trial lawyers, and marks the firm's foray into international dispute resolution.

Mr. Bayko has tried cases before courts and arbitration panels under the applicable laws of more than 30 countries, including Afghanistan, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iraq, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Venezuela, and the United States, among many others. Over the course of his 40-year legal career, he has both defended and prosecuted complex disputes involving futures and derivatives trading, commodities trading, antitrust, securities, all forms of fraud, insurance coverage, intellectual property, trade secrets, construction claims, and all forms of energy-related contracts, among others.

Houston remains one of the world's major energy centers, and has quickly become a major hub for energy-related international arbitration and litigation, thus creating a natural fit for Mr. Bayko and his practice. McKool Smith opened its Houston office in 2009 with the joining of noted bankruptcy trial lawyer Hugh M. Ray, who launched the firm's bankruptcy litigation practice.

"Tom is a remarkable trial lawyer with decades of experience handling cross-border disputes," said Mike McKool, co-Founder and Chairman of McKool Smith. "His expertise and track record in high-stakes trials and arbitrations will be extremely valuable to our clients. I look forward to working with him."

"As a trial lawyer, I have always had a great deal of respect and admiration for McKool Smith and the firm's attorneys," said Mr. Bayko. "When you think of trial firms and 'bet-the-company' litigators, McKool Smith is at the top of the list. The firm's culture and reputation provides an ideal platform for me as I continue to build my practice."

Mr. Bayko, along with fellow McKool Smith principals Mike McKool and J. Michael Hennigan, is recognized as one of top 58 active U.S. trial lawyers by Chambers Global, one of the most respected attorney and law firm directories in the legal industry. With Mr. Bayko's arrival to McKool Smith, the firm now has the second highest number of attorneys who are ranked as "Leading U.S. Trial Lawyers" by Chambers.

With more than 175 trial lawyers 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. Over the past seven years, the firm has secured seven nine-figure jury verdicts, as well as seven eight-figure jury verdicts. The firm has also won more National Law Journal and VerdictSearch "Top 100 Verdicts" over the last five 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 leading clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters. 

For more information, please contact Diane Iselin at 212-402-9486 or [email protected].

SOURCE McKool Smith