PHILADELPHIA, October 29, 2013—Matthew A. Taylor, chairman of the Trial Practice Group at law firm Duane Morris LLP, has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.
The induction ceremony at which Taylor became a Fellow took place recently before an audience of more than 600 during the 2013 Fall Meeting of the College in San Francisco. Taylor's father, William J. Taylor of Cozen O'Connor, has been a Fellow of the College for more than 40 years.
Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only after careful investigation to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of 15 years of trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.
Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,838 members in the United States and Canada, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College strives to improve and elevate the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the trial profession. Qualified lawyers are called to Fellowship in the College from all branches of trial practice. They are carefully selected from among those who customarily represent plaintiffs in civil cases and those who customarily represent defendants, those who prosecute people accused of a crime and those who defend them. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.
"It is a true honor to be named a Fellow in this prestigious organization," Taylor said. "The College serves an important role in the nation's legal system, and I hope to contribute meaningfully to its efforts in the future."
Taylor practices in the area of commercial litigation, handling matters in state and federal courts across the United States. He also represents corporate boards and individual corporate officers and directors in internal and government investigations and related proceedings. He is an active trial lawyer dealing with matters in banking and securities law; RICO; corporate governance; commercial real estate; computer software and hardware; products liability, with a concentration in medical devices; and corporate directors and officers liability and indemnification. Taylor handles a wide range of employment matters involving noncompete, trade secrets and business-related torts. He represents medical device manufacturers nationally in products liability matters and in connection with commercial disputes between the manufacturer and its distributors. In his role as chairman of Duane Morris' Trial Practice Group, he leads nearly 350 attorneys across 18 offices. He also serves on the firm's Executive Committee.
Taylor is a 1989 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and a graduate of Boston College. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia bar associations, the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Drug and Medical Device Committee of the Defense Research Institute. He is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in general commercial litigation.