News

Drew Neville, a renowned trial lawyer who has represented media celebrities, recording artists, prominent corporate executives, and leading corporations in high-profile litigation across the country, has joined McAfee & Taft, the state’s largest law firm.

“Whenever there are big cases in the region and people start deciding who they’re going to hire, Drew makes the short list every time,” said Michael Lauderdale, managing director of McAfee & Taft. “Not only does he complement a litigation group that is already very strong, but he gives us the added capability, especially in today’s legal environment, to compete for those bigger cases.”

Throughout the course of his distinguished legal career, Neville has always had a knack for being where the action is. Early in his career, he worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon during the time of the Watergate hearings. Upon returning to Oklahoma in 1974, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, where he prosecuted both civil and criminal cases.

Since entering private practice full-time in 1976, Neville has tried in excess of 200 cases at the trial and appellate levels – more than 150 of which have resulted in a verdict – and has developed a reputation for being one of the nation’s go-to lawyers for high-profile litigation, including bet-the-company and white collar criminal cases, as well as high-stakes litigation involving complex business, securities, banking, antitrust, and directors’ and officers’ liability claims.

Fewer than five percent of all lawsuits filed ever go to trial, so someone with Neville’s extensive trial experience is an extremely rare find, said Lauderdale.

“Having another bet-the-company lawyer, particularly one with Drew’s credentials and reputation, is invaluable. Not only does his presence and reputation help us in attracting new clients and cases, but he’s also going to be a go-to resource for our Litigation Group and especially our younger lawyers. The same guy that has taught trial skills at Harvard Law and OCU Law is now going to be just down the hall from them, so that’s very exciting as well.”

Over the years, Neville has represented celebrities such as Martha Stewart, Jerry Lee Lewis, Snoop Dog (then known as Snoop Doggy Dog), and Kenny Rogers, as well as individuals and corporate clients involved in a number of lawsuits that emanated from headline-making news, such as the collapse of Enron, the Tailhook scandal, and the crash of Delta Flight 191 at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in 1985.

“Having Drew join our team gives our clients an advantage because he wins, and he wins because he prepares and he’s great on his feet. He doesn’t leave any stone unturned, and he passes that down to the team around him,” said Lauderdale. “He’s also respected by the judiciary. He’s appeared in front of them for so many years, and they know if Drew says something, it’s going to be based in fact and so he has a lot of credibility on the front end.”

Neville is an elected fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been perennially named to the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America, and Benchmark Litigation. He also holds the distinction of being named to Oklahoma Super Lawyers’ list of “Top 10 Oklahoma Lawyers” every year since its inaugural publication and for being ranked the #1 lawyer in Oklahoma for eight years.

McAfee & Taft is one of the nation’s 250 largest law firms as ranked by the National Law Journal, and the prestigious Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business has perennially awarded McAfee & Taft its highest ranking in the area of Litigation in Oklahoma.