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C & S In The News
Aug 17, 2023

5 Cooper & Scully, P.C. Lawyers Recognized as Best Lawyers® Award Recipients

August 17, 2023 -- Cooper & Scully, P.C. is pleased to announce that 5 lawyers have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

"For more than 40 years, the rigorous methodology of Best Lawyers has ensured the integrity and esteem of our legal recognitions," said Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer. "It is with great pleasure that we continue to provide potential clients with the pinnacle measurement of credibility through our Best Lawyers awards as they search for counsel."

Best Lawyers has earned the respect of the profession, the media and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in more than 75 countries.

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

Cooper & Scully, P.C. would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2024 The Best Lawyers in America list:

  • R. Brent Cooper
    • Appellate Practice
    • Insurance Law
       
  • John A. Scully
    • Commercial Litigation
    • Litigation - Health Care
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
       
  • J. Kevin Oncken
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Cory M. Sutker
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
       
  • Vasilia M. Wilkes
    • Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance
       

About Our Lawyers

Brent Cooper focuses his practice on commercial litigation, insurance and appellate law. He has tried numerous cases covering areas of business litigation, construction litigation, catastrophic personal injuries, complex litigation, intellectual property, constitutional and business tort cases. In his 46 years of practice, he has been at the forefront of Texas law, particularly in the area of bad faith. Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Mr. Cooper has been appellate counsel of record in over 300 published court opinions and honored by the State Bar of Texas Insurance Section as a “True Texas Legend.” He has been recognized as a leading attorney in insurance law by Chambers USA for 2007-2022 and Texas Super Lawyers since its inception in 2003. 

John Scully is Board Certified in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and is also Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. John is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. John has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers since 2003, and featured as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Texas by Texas Super Lawyers. He is licensed in Texas, Montana, and Oklahoma. He is routinely retained to try high-dollar exposure cases in the areas of business litigation, catastrophic injury, wrongful death and professional liability. His professional liability practice includes representation of hospitals and other health care providers, attorneys, law firms and other professionals. John has served as national trial counsel on birth and catastrophic injury litigation for numerous hospital systems and insurance carriers. Over 40 years, John has developed a diverse civil trial practice involving an array of industries, including health care, insurance, real estate, oil and gas, financial and pharmaceutical. He has represented a variety of clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to governmental entities and individuals in complex commercial litigation, personal injury lawsuits, class actions, administrative proceedings and Qui Tam/False Claims Act actions and investigations.

Kevin Oncken has been in practice for 36 years.  He has tried to jury verdict, more than 100 cases across Texas. Kevin has often been asked to step into cases outside of Texas via Pro Hac Vice. While the majority of his practice has focused on the defense of medical negligence cases, Kevin has also successfully represented plaintiffs in non-malpractice injury cases as well as commercial cases.  At the pretrial stage, Kevin is known for meticulous preparation of his clients for deposition, conducting precision cross examinations of experts, and for thinking outside of the box with respect to ethically advancing his client’s interests.  He is a member of the American College of Board Certified Attorneys and is also a credentialed mediator with the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association.  In that regard, he has served as the neutral mediator in more than 200 cases involving serious injuries, toxic torts, products liability and commercial matters. Kevin has been featured in the Texas Super Lawyers publication since its inception in 2003.

Cory Sutker handles a wide variety of legal matters in state and federal venues, including those involving medical malpractice, products and premises liability, breach of contract, employment disputes, medical liens, hospital credentialing claims, defamation and fraud.  He routinely handles cases involving catastrophic injuries and multi-million dollar exposure.  He vigorously represents his clients’ interests in depositions, hearings, mediation and at trial.  In addition to his work on active lawsuits, he assists his clients in risk management activities, quality improvement initiatives, media relations, pre-suit investigations and alternative dispute resolution.  He also represents professionals in administrative law matters before their respective licensing boards, including the Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing and the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Since 2013, he has been recognized by his peers as a Texas Super Lawyer and named as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine (2018-present).

Vasilia Wilkes has been practicing law since 2005 and began her legal career defending companies and individuals in premises liability, products liability, and personal injury claims.  Vasilia’s practice focuses on insurance coverage and defense, including complex bad-faith litigation involving general liability, environmental pollution, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and commercial automobile and property insurance.  She has also worked as in-house coverage counsel for a Texas-based property insurance company, giving her invaluable knowledge to assist carriers with disputes in the region.  Vasilia was selected as a Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers for 2012 - 2017 and again in 2020.

 

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About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best quali?ed to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.

Lawyers who are nominated for consideration are voted on by currently recognized Best Lawyers working in the same practice area and located in the same geographic region. Our awards and recognitions are based purely on the feedback we receive from these top lawyers. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo a thorough verification process to make sure they are currently still in private practice. Only then can these top lawyers be recognized by Best Lawyers.