Thomas W. Taylor

Tom’s civil litigation practice emphasizes defense of mass multi-party litigation. He has extensive civil jury trial experience in state and federal court, with in excess of thirty jury verdicts, and a much greater number of cases that settled during trial. His specific experience includes defending mass tort cases, commercial litigation, commercial arbitrations and personal injury cases. Tom has significant experience in multi-district litigation on both the state and Federal level. He represented defendants in Federal MDLs 875, 2179 and 2185. He also represents defendants in the Texas Asbestos MDL and the Texas Silica MDL.

Tom also has a substantial civil appellate litigation practice. He has presented oral arguments before the Texas Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeals for the First, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Districts of Texas, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

• Represented Bolivian affiliate of international energy company in wrongful death lawsuit filed in the U.S., arising out of fatal accident in Bolivia.
• Represent international energy company in numerous lawsuits filed in the U.S. alleging toxic exposures from refining and other operations in the Middle East.
• Represent oil tanker fleet owner and operator in numerous lawsuits filed in the U.S. by Italian seaman alleging onboard exposures to toxic substances during international voyages.
• Represented international energy company in personal injury lawsuit filed in the U.S. by British citizen working in Central Asia.
• Co-counsel of record for international energy company in achieving dismissal under forum non conveniens of securities derivative case filed in the U.S., the Court dismissing the case and ruling that it should have been filed in the Courts of England and Wales.
• Assisted in representing international energy company in international arbitration sited in Houston regarding dispute among two international energy companies and an international drilling company, arising out of former operations in the Middle East.
• Regional counsel for major energy company in toxic tort, chemical exposure, and personal injury litigation.
• National coordinating counsel for affiliate of major energy company in asbestos litigation.
• Local Texas counsel for defendant in personal injury, property damage and economic loss cases arising out of deepwater drilling rig failure, subsequent fire and explosion, and resulting oil spill.
• Local counsel for defendant in Federal MDL created to handle securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and ERISA cases allegedly arising out of deepwater drilling rig failure, fire, explosion and oil spill.
• Trial counsel for major civilian and military aircraft manufacturer in Texas Open Records Act case.
• Trial counsel for major energy company in employee wrongful death action alleging toxic exposure.
• Co-trial counsel for subsidiary of major manufacturer of commercial aircraft in arbitration brought by former joint venture affiliate.

• Named a Litigation Star, Texas, Benchmark Litigation, 2014-2025
• Recommended for Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Defense - Toxic Tort (2016-2019, 2021-2023) and Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas (2023), Legal 500 United States
• Selected as a Super Lawyer for General Litigation Law, Texas Monthly magazine, 2012, 2014-2024

• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Houston Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel
• Defense Research Institute