Wayne Taylor is an AV-rated trial lawyer who joined the firm as a partner in 1995. Mr. Taylor maintains a national practice representing insurers primarily in complex insurance coverage and bad faith matters, including commercial property and business interruption (including COVID-19), bad faith and extra-contractual litigation, excess and surplus lines coverage, builder’s risk, boiler and machinery, suspected arson and fraudulent claims, Chinese drywall, domestic intrastate and interstate motor truck carrier liability, warehouseman’s legal liability, and jewelers block. He has extensive experience in third-party liability coverage analysis and litigation, including general liability, environmental and complex torts, directors and officers, professional liability (errors and omissions), advertising injury and intellectual property, construction defects, and employment practices liability. Mr. Taylor has handled substantial property loss claims throughout the United States, including a number of claims related to major catastrophes such as September 11, 2001, the 2004 Florida hurricanes, the 2010 Oklahoma tornados, the 2011 Alabama tornados, Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Matthew, Irma, Michael, Sally, Zeta and Ian.
Mr. Taylor has handled claims related to real property of virtually every scale, ranging from homeowner’s claims to claims on substantial shopping malls, high rise buildings, hotels, manufacturing facilities, and major sports venues around the country. Mr. Taylor also provides representation to insurers in subrogation matters. His clients retain him on a regional and national basis, trusting his coverage counsel in major claims. Recent engagements include a claim of more than $16 million in New York and hurricane-related claims totaling more than $500 million in Florida and Alabama. Mr. Taylor is a trained and certified mediator, specializing in insurance coverage disputes, and an umpire certified by the Windstorm Insurance Network. Mr. Taylor also has been retained as an expert witness concerning issues related to the appraisal process and allegations of bad faith claim handling.
Mr. Taylor is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel, recently serving as its President, and was the recipient of that organization’s Thomas F. Segalla Service Award in 2016. He also is a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Mr. Taylor has been recognized as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” in Insurance Coverage by Super Lawyers Magazine every year since 2014, and he was named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Georgia in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2024. Mr. Taylor also has been recognized by Best Lawyers of America for Insurance Coverage Litigation every year since 2016. In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel and the Litigation Counsel of America, Mr. Taylor is a WIND Fellow of the Windstorm Insurance Network, currently serving as its President, and received the organization’s Presidential Recognition Award in 2018. Mr. Taylor was named an Attorney to Watch in 2018 by Attorney at Law Magazine.
Mr. Taylor is the co-author of “Unique Coverage Issues in Flood Losses,” published in the Winter 2013 issue of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, 48 Tort Trial & Ins. Prac. L.J. 619 (2013). He also is the co-author of “Defective and Corrosive Drywall: Analyzing First-Party Coverage Issues,” published in the Fall 2010 issue of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, 46 Tort Trial & Ins. Prac. L.J. 63 (2011). In addition, Mr. Taylor co-¬authored “Damage Occurring from Theft of Copper: Is the Damage Covered as Vandalism or Excluded as Theft?,” one of the featured articles published in September 2011 online edition of Claims Advisor.
Mr. Taylor lectures frequently to lawyers and insurance industry professionals throughout the country and internationally on a wide range of topics involving insurance coverage, bad faith, and the investigation of suspected arson and fraudulent insurance claims. Mr. Taylor also has experience in the management of his firm, previously serving on its Management Committee and chairing the Firm Development Group, the firm’s marketing committee.
