Paul R. Taylor

Partner

Phone: (206) 622-2000
Fax: (206) 622-2522
E-mail: ptaylor@byrneskeller.com

Profile

Paul R. Taylor is an experienced trial lawyer, having tried over twenty cases to verdict or decision. Paul has been widely recognized for his trial skills. Following the verdict in a two-month jury case, the trial judge in open court described him as “one of the toughest cross-examiners” she had ever seen. In another case, a front-page story in Seattle’s leading daily described how he had “nearly undressed” one of the opposition’s key witnesses with a “withering” cross-examination. Chamber’s Guide to America’s Leading Business Lawyers describes Paul as a “star.”

 
Matters Paul has tried include the successful defense of a $200 million legal malpractice case, whether the arena lease of an NBA franchise was specifically enforceable, a high-stakes patent dispute for one of the nation’s leading consumer products manufacturers, a First Amendment commercial speech case for a professional sports team, a criminal antitrust and perjury prosecution, plaintiff’s personal injury and wrongful death claims, and real property disputes. Areas of concentration include professional liability defense, general commercial disputes, securities, antitrust and consumer protection, condemnation and employment. Finally, as Special Counsel to the Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct, Paul has investigated and tried several judges accused of misconduct.
 

Professional Experience

• Byrnes & Keller LLP, 1988-present
• U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, 1984-1988
• Special Assistant United States Attorney, 1987

Education

• J.D., Gonzaga University School of Law, magna cum laude, 1984
• B.A., University of Washington, 1980

Professional Activities

• Former Chair, Washington State Bar Association Section on Consumer Protection and Antitrust Law
• Special Counsel, Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct
• Washington State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct Committee
• Washington State Bar Court Rules Committee
• Co-author:
1. Washington State Bar Association Trial Desk Book
2. Antitrust Counseling and Litigation Techniques (Matthew Bender)
3. ABA Criminal Antitrust Litigation Manual, Second Edition
• Recent CLE Presentations:
1. The Law of Lawyering
2. Effective Use of Technology in Complex Commercial Trials
3. Impact of Public Opinion and Media on Judicial Discipline Cases

Professional Recognition

• Listed in Chamber’s Guide to America’s Leading Business Lawyers
• Best Lawyers in America
• Selected as “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics magazine, 1999-present
• Best Lawyers in Washington, Washington CEO Magazine
• U.S. Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards