Mayes

Taylor is an experienced trial attorney whose practice includes defending individuals and corporations in the areas of products liability, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, professional liability and complex commercial disputes. He has tried, or assisted in the trial of, more than 25 jury trials to verdict across multiple different practice areas and jurisdictions.  He has handled numerous bench trials, arbitrations, mediations and settlements of high-profile cases. 

• Commercial Litigation
• Professional Liability
• Drug & Device Litigation
• Health Law
• Products, Catastrophic & Industrial Litigation

Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

Taylor’s experience includes serving as National Coordinating Counsel for a branded pharmaceutical manufacturer in coordinated state court proceedings in Missouri and Connecticut. He has significant mass tort experience defending large companies in suits over their products, including manufacturers of hernia mesh, pelvic mesh, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, opioids, vaccines, earplugs, forced air warming blankets, food products and many others.  He has taken hundreds of depositions of plaintiffs, treating healthcare providers, and expert witnesses across many disciplines and he has defended numerous, high-level company witnesses at deposition.

He is recognized for his expertise by Best Lawyers in America®, which selected him as Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Nashville, TN) in 2023. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Taylor obtained his J.D. from the University of Tennessee in 1998 and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University in 1995.  He is admitted to practice in Tennessee state and federal courts and has appeared pro hac vice in many federal and state courts around the country.

Current/Recent Matters:

• National Coordinating Counsel for branded pharmaceutical manufacturer in coordinated state court proceedings in Missouri and Connecticut (2017).
• Lead Trial Counsel in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee, for one of the largest super market companies in connection with a wrongful death action involving a child and food allergens (2017).
• In Re Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Marketing, Sales Practices, and Product Liability Litigation (E.D. P.A) (2016).

Jury Trials – Mr. Mayes has tried, or assisted in the trial of, over twenty (25) jury trials to verdict.  Representative trials:

• Regina Jackson v. McNeil-PPC, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson, Inc., Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County, New Jersey, Docket No. ATL-L-880-13.
• Riley v. Maury Regional Hospital, Maury County Circuit Court No. 12655.
• Leeann Lemaster and husband, Donald Lemaster v. Alton L. Hunter, M.D., Maury County Circuit Court No. 12607.
• Alcyorn White, et al. v. Charles Haney, M.D., Giles County Circuit Court No. CC-10652.
• Bridgett Palmer v. Sumner Regional Health Systems, Inc., Sumner County Circuit Court.
• Gaynell Kemp v. National Medical Hospitals, d/b/a University Medical Center, Wilson County Circuit Court No. 2001 CV-559.
• Mark Hanley v. Andrew S. Boskind, M.D.¸ Sumner County Circuit Court.
• Malcom Shouse, as surviving husband of Patricia Shouse, deceased,  v. Maury Regional Hospital, Maury County, Melanie Durham, PA, Dr. James Richardson and Mid-South Surgeons, Maury County Circuit Court No. 13178.
• Donna J. Johnson v. Sumner Regional Health Systems, Inc., Sumner County Circuit Court No. 2007-CV-29964.
• Marguerite Ann Wilson and husband, Donald T. Wilson v. Maury Regional Hospital, d/b/a Maury Regional Medical Center & Maury County, Tennessee, Maury County Circuit Court No. 14271.
• Gilbert Waters and wife, Hixie Waters v. Wesley Coker, M.D., Davidson County Circuit Court No. 01C-1443.
• Wanda D. Frierson and Kevrek M. Frierson, individually and on behalf of their daughter, Myia L. Frierson, a minor v. Francis A. Hawthorn, D.P.M., Davidson County Circuit Court No. 03C-81.
• Carlos A. Chavarria and Maria A. Chavarria v. Averitt Express, Inc. and Clarence Wilson, Obion County Circuit Court No. 9-268.
• Brian Padgett and Chelsea Padgett v. Kids Connection, Inc., Rutherford County Circuit Court No. 59319.

• Super Lawyers®
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers, 2013-2015
  • Mid-South Rising Stars, 2008-2012
• Best Lawyers in America®
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2021-2024
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2021-2024
  • Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Nashville, TN), 2023
• Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

• Tennessee, 1998
• U.S. District Courts
• Tennessee: Eastern, Middle, Western
• U.S. Court of Appeals
• 6th Circuit

• University of Tennessee, J.D., 1998
• Vanderbilt University, B.A., 1995

• American Bar Association
• Nashville Bar Association
• Tennessee Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)

• Co-Author, “Development of the Food & Drug Administration,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 13 No. 1, April 2020.
• Co-Author, “Walking the Line Between Marketing and Malfeasance,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 12 No. 3, September 2019.