Taylor L. Davis

Full Profile

Taylor Davis advises and advocates for insurance industry and corporate clients involved in complex contractual disputes and civil litigation. Her practice ranges from counseling clients in non-adversarial contexts, such as policy drafting and coverage advice, to arbitrating and litigating cases in federal, state, and appellate courts across the United States. Taylor's experience includes bad faith, insurance coverage, and subrogation matters, with a focus on complex first-party property and business interruption disputes. Taylor also is appointed to defend personal injury and products liability actions, and is retained by corporations of all sizes to resolve their business disputes. She is a trusted advisor on contemporary legal issues such as silent cyber and Coronavirus/COVID-19 coverage implications.

Taylor has worked with clients in North America, South America, United Kingdom, Europe, and China. In 2017 she spent six months seconded to a leading London syndicate, an experience that gave her valuable insight into what clients need and expect from outside counsel. Taylor has published numerous articles in Law360 and other publications and has spoken on topics such as effective pre-trial discovery techniques, discovery obligations and sanctions, deposition skills, the application of flood deductibles and sublimits, and the implications of U.S. anti-dumping law.

Having studied in Madrid and Cádiz, Taylor regularly converses with clients in Spanish.

Admissions

• Georgia
• Florida
• US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• US District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
• US District Court for the District of North Dakota 
• US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• US District Court for the District of Colorado

Education

• J.D., with honors and Dean's Honor Scholar, Emory University School of Law, 2010
• B.A., summa cum laude, English Literature and Spanish Literature, Vanderbilt University, 2007
• Studied abroad, Spanish Literature, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2005

Memberships

• Order of Barristers
• Mortar Board
• Phi Beta Kappa Society

Experience

• Represented reinsurer on appeal in a case where cedant claimed reimbursement for defense and indemnity it provided to insured under an E&O policy, which reinsurer denied for lack of coverage. Appellate court affirmed summary judgment ruling in reinsurer’s favor and held the follow-the-fortunes doctrine did not apply.

• Won motion to dismiss and award of costs for commercial property insurers in suit over USD 17 million interdependent time element claim.
• Won motion to dismiss putative class action suit against multiple defendants under Medicare Secondary Payer Act.
• Won motion to dismiss case alleging breach of contract, fraud, negligence, and other causes of action against cargo insurer.
• Obtained dismissal of commercial general liability insurer from suit alleging breach of duty to defend and indemnify.
• Obtained summary judgment and award of costs for commercial insurer in suit alleging breach of contract and bad faith claims arising out of cyber claim. The court dismissed the case and denied reconsideration; the Eleventh Circuit affirmed.
• Obtained summary judgment and award of costs in favor of commercial property insurer in Hurricane Irma case in Florida.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of equipment manufacturer in USD 80 million construction defect suit in New Jersey.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of equipment manufacturer in suit alleging negligence and gross negligence by an injured individual in Texas.
• Defended and negotiated settlement of USD 54 million suit by municipality against its insurer over claim for property and time element damages.
• Defended excess insurer and assisted in negotiating settlement of USD 30 million suit in Florida by non-profit alleging breach of insurance contract and bad faith.
• Represented property insurer in putative class action involving homeowners' claims for diminution in value and successfully resolved suit prior to certification.
• Represented commercial property insurer in declaratory judgment action involving coverage dispute over USD 4 million claim; defended counter-claim for breach of contract and bad faith. Filed motion for sanctions against insured, a hotelier, which led to settlement.
• Defended foreign designer/manufacturer and subsidiary in products liability suit in Pennsylvania. Obtained dismissal of subsidiary on jurisdictional grounds and negotiated settlement on behalf of parent company prior to substantive discovery.
• Negotiated pre-suit resolution of wrongful death and emotional distress claims against designer/manufacturer of alleged defective product.
• Advised insurance market on subrogation potential for contingent business interruption claim involving fire at UK factory of insured's component part supplier.
• Acted as monitoring counsel for liability insurer and negotiated settlement of wrongful death claim against insured.
• Counseled insurers on policy wording for various types of policies, including construction all risk, commercial property and cyber, and advised on potential legal issues in various jurisdictions globally.
• Advised insurers on coverage for claims under various types of policies, including professional liability, employment practices liability, commercial general liability, fine art and specie, accident and health, bloodstock, inland marine, energy, commercial property and homeowners, and conducted examinations under oath.