Smyser Kaplan & Veselka

Smyser Kaplan & Veselka, L.L.P. ("SKV"), a Houston-based litigation boutique, has been named Texas Firm of the Year for 2015 by Benchmark Litigation. The Firm of the Year award honors one litigation firm in each state based on the significance of its representations, including precedent-setting verdicts and notable monetary awards. Benchmark Litigation is the only trade publication to focus exclusively on U.S. litigation. "We are thrilled and delighted to be Firm of the Year," said Craig Smyser, one of the founding partners of the firm. "This award affirms SKV's hard-earned reputation as the competitive, aggressive go-to law firm in high-value, high-risk cases." Marquee cases that helped secure the award for the firm include the high-profile trade secrets cases Quantlab Technologies et al. v. Godlevsky et al. and Schlumberger Technology Corp. v. Rutherford; the patent infringement case WesternGeco v. ION Geophysical et al.; and one of the most significant white collar matters in the country, the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill criminal case United States v. Vidrine et al. All four cases are ongoing. The Texas Firm of the Year award is just the latest in a string of 2014 honors for SKV, which was listed as a top firm by U.S. News & World Report, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers. Smyser, with cofounder Larry Veselka and partner Shaun Clarke, attended an awards ceremony in New York City to accept the honor. "Every partner, counsel, associate and administrative staff member contributed to our winning this award," Smyser said. "We're tremendously proud of our team and their dedication to excellence on behalf of our clients." Winning for our clients, integrity and efficiency are SKV priorities.