McKool Smith Adds Three Bankruptcy Attorneys in Houston

HOUSTON, July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of McKool Smith is announcing the addition of two veteran litigators and a former federal bankruptcy clerk in the firm's rapidly growing Houston office.

Christopher D. Johnson, Ruth A. Van Meter and Nicholas Zugaro join an accomplished group of attorneys in McKool Smith's Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice, which is led by nationally acclaimed bankruptcy specialist Hugh M. Ray.

"The addition of these three excellent lawyers is part of our overall goal to become one of the top bankruptcy shops anywhere in the country," says Mr. Ray, who also leads the firm's Houston office. "With bankruptcies and related litigation on the rise, and more and more firms facing client conflicts in bankruptcy-related work, we expect to grow our group significantly in the coming months."

Mr. Johnson joins McKool Smith from Selman Munson & Lerner in Houston. His practice focuses on bankruptcy and financial restructuring matters. During his 11-year legal career, Mr. Johnson has represented Chapter 11 debtors, official unsecured creditors committees, creditors, and Chapter 7 trustees in significant cases heard in federal bankruptcy courts in Texas, New York and Delaware.

Ms. Van Meter joins McKool Smith from the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr. For more than 20 years, Ms. Van Meter has represented a variety of clients in cases involving bankruptcy matters, corporate transactions, commercial litigation and insurance defense. In addition to her trial expertise, Ms. Van Meter also is an accomplished appellate lawyer with experience in both state and federal appeals.

Mr. Zugaro joins McKool Smith following a clerkship for the Hon. Wesley Steen in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Prior to his work with Judge Steen, Mr. Zugaro earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, where he served as editor of the Houston Journal of International Law.

McKool Smith is recognized as one of the premier trial law firms in the United States based on significant courtroom victories and substantial settlements for domestic and international clients. With more than 125 attorneys in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Marshall, New York, and Washington DC, the firm handles complex commercial litigation, intellectual property claims, bankruptcy matters, and white collar litigation for companies and individuals across the globe. McKool Smith has won more of the Top 100 Verdicts than any other law firm in the nation every year since 2008. Firm clients include major airlines, telecommunications companies, medical device manufacturers, energy producers, and many others.

To learn more, please visit McKool Smith's website at www.mckoolsmith.com, or contact Bruce Vincent at 214.559.4630 or [email protected].

SOURCE McKool Smith