Insurance Recovery Litigator Michael John Miguel Joins McKool Smith

Los Angeles, CA (April 18, 2016) -- McKool Smith, one of America’s leading trial firms, has announced that seasoned insurance recovery litigator Michael John Miguel has joined the firm as a principal in its Los Angeles, California office.

McKool Smith’s insurance recovery practice was launched in February 2016 with the joining of seven New York principals led by preeminent insurance litigator Robin Cohen.  The group has handled and tried some of the country’s largest coverage cases, and has obtained more than $5 billion in insurance-related recoveries for clients.  In less than one month, the practice doubled in size with the addition of two senior counsel and five associates in the firm’s New York office.  Michael Miguel’s arrival in Los Angeles, along with two new associates—Brett DeArmond Bissett and Anna K. Milunas—increases the practice’s headcount to 17 insurance recovery litigators from coast-to-coast.

“Mike is an outstanding first-chair trial lawyer with significant experience in large complex coverage disputes. Our clients will benefit greatly from his expertise,” said Robin Cohen, head of McKool Smith’s insurance recovery practice. “We worked closely together for a number of years, so I am very excited Mike has decided to stay with the team and join McKool Smith.  His arrival expands our group to the West Coast, and bolsters our already deep bench of trial lawyers.”

“I am really looking forward to rejoining Robin and the team,” said Michael Miguel. “Our practices are very complimentary, so making the move to McKool Smith was a relatively easy decision to make.  The firm is a highly-regarded litigation powerhouse, has a reputation for offering clients innovative fee arrangements, and we represent clients in the same industries. These three factors are very important to my practice.”

Michael John Miguel has a diverse background in commercial litigation, with a particular concentration on insurance coverage matters.  His experience and knowledge has helped to obtain more than $1 billion dollars for his clients.  Mr. Miguel has successfully litigated cases before the state and federal trial and appellate courts in 21 states and the U.S. Supreme Court, and has tried cases to verdict or judgment in five states. He also handles disputes involving environmental, antitrust, intellectual property, and toxic tort defense litigation matters, and has conducted several domestic and international arbitration proceedings.

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 nine 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 eight 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, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters.