Bernard Taylor, Sr., Esq. demonstrates skill and leadership every step of the way during the negotiation process. He has a proven track record in resolving complex litigation and millions of dollars in claims across the U.S. Relying upon a legal career spanning almost 40 years, Mr. Taylor serves as a mediator and arbitrator at JAMS focusing on business commercial, class action, mass torts, personal injury and products liability disputes.

Prior to joining JAMS, Mr. Taylor was chair of Alston & Bird's Management Committee and the firm's Products Liability Group. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. Before his legal career, Mr. Taylor was a Detroit police investigator involved in federal and state criminal investigations. He has participated in the resolution of civil rights disputes related to claims of racial discrimination alleged against various corporate clients, including a professional sports team. He was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Products Liability Litigation – Defendants in Atlanta by Best Lawyers^® in 2017. He is also listed in Best Lawyers^® for several practice areas, as well as in Super Lawyers.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Almost 40 years of complex commercial litigation involving racial discrimination, class action, mass tort, environmental liability, pharmaceutical products liability and toxic tort lawsuits filed in various jurisdictions throughout the U.S.
• Participated as counsel in numerous special master proceedings
• Completed the Mediating Disputes course at the Harvard Law School Negotiation Institute

Representative Matters

• Civil Rights
• Represented a professional sports team to resolve claims of racial discrimination in player development and discriminatory marketing practices of the franchise
• Resolving customer claims of racial discrimination against several national restaurant chains
• Arbitrated to final award multiple age and employment discrimination matters
• Class Action & Mass Tort
• Served as national trial counsel for a large Chinese drywall manufacturer in a products liability multidistrict litigation (MDL) class action involving claims asserted by thousands of homeowners and pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana and other U.S. jurisdictions
• Served as lead trial counsel for a division of a large chemical manufacturing company in mass tort lawsuits for alleged exposure to isocyanates in underground coal and platinum mines; this work included handling a lawsuit with more than 1,600 plaintiffs in Alabama, a lawsuit with 99 plaintiffs in West Virginia and a nationwide putative class action with 30,000 plaintiffs in which coal miners claimed a variety of health issues caused by alleged isocyanate exposure
• Served as lead trial counsel representing a leading building products company in mass tort litigation involving more than 1,300 plaintiffs alleging personal injuries caused by air and surface water emissions from a former wood-treatment site in Alabama
• Served as co-lead trial counsel representing a chemical manufacturer in a West Virginia mass tort products liability asbestos trial involving over 2,000 plaintiffs
• Served as lead counsel representing an international solar panel manufacturer against products liability claims in California
• Served as lead trial counsel representing an international construction equipment manufacturer regarding sale and use of equipment in the U.S. in alleged violation of U.S. regulatory laws
• Health Care
• Served as lead trial counsel for two health care corporations in a products liability case alleging negligence, failure to warn and manufacturing defects
• Served as lead trial counsel for one of the largest public health systems in the U.S. in medical malpractice cases and other health care litigation matters throughout Georgia
• Higher Education & Title IX
• Trained as Title IX external Hearing Officer and Adjudicator for colleges in sexual assault and harassment cases
• As an advocate, represented universities in disputes related to on campus incidents, crimes, and the resulting litigation
• As a member of the Board of Trustees of a college, resolved harassment issues involving both students, faculty and staff
• Adjudicated to final resolution a midwestern university's racial harassment matter
• Life Sciences
• Member of the national defense team representing a large pharmaceutical company in Trasylol litigation that was the subject of a national multidistrict litigation, as well as individual cases pending in several states
• Personal Injury
• Successfully resolved a wrongful death and multiple serious injury highway accident case based upon the parties' acceptance of a mediator's proposal
• Mediated multiple medical malpractice matters to successful resolution
• Professional Liability
• Arbitrated to final award a matter involving the wrongful death of a long-term care facility resident allegedly due to the alleged negligence of staff

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.

Memberships and Affiliations

• World Affairs Council, Atlanta
  • Chair, 2020–2021
  • Board of Directors, 2012–present
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
  • Chair of the Southeast Regional Board, 2020–2021
  • Recipient of the ADL Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015
  • National Chair of the Community Engagement Committee
• U.S. Fund for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
  • Vice Chair of the National Board of Directors
  • Member of the Southeast Regional Board of Directors, 2007–present
• Member, American Bar Association 
• Member, State Bar of Georgia
• Member, Atlanta Bar Association
• Member, Gate City Bar Association
• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• Fellow, American College of Civil Trial Mediators
• Member, 100 Black Men of America
• Board of Trustees, Vasser Woolley Foundation
• Board of Councilors, The Carter Center
• Member Board of Trustees the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority

Selected Awards and Honors

• Global Leader, Product Liability Defense, Who’s Who Legal, 2020
• Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Atlanta, Best Lawyers in America, 2017
• Best Lawyers; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Best Lawyers in America, 2005–2021

Background and Education

• Attorney, Alston & Bird, 1982–2020
• Partner, 1990–2020
• Police Officer, Detroit Police Department, 1970–1979
• Supervisor, Covert Operations Group, 1975-1979
• J.D., Vanderbilt University, 1982
• Bennett Douglas Bell Memorial Prize Award
• B.A., Wayne State University, 1979