Profile

Taylor English’s value-driven model allows me to partner with clients to find creative, cost-effective resolutions to their legal disputes so they can get back to their primary mission of achieving the company’s business goals.

LeeAnn Jones is a problem solver. As a trial lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience, she helps clients resolve complex litigation disputes in federal and state courts, multidistrict litigation (MDL), and arbitration proceedings throughout Georgia and nationwide. She gains an in-depth understanding of the client’s business and industry to develop and execute litigation strategies designed to achieve an optimal legal outcome consistent with the client’s business goals and objectives. She has used this approach to successfully represent companies of all sizes in commercial, personal injury, product liability, and pharmaceutical and medical device litigation and consumer class actions. Her cases frequently involve technical, scientific and medical issues, and she excels at mastering complex issues to communicate them simply and effectively to a judge or jury.

Ms. Jones has developed and implemented national and regional coordinating counsel programs to assist clients in efficiently managing and coordinating discovery and litigation arising in multiple similar cases around the country. She has led and served on coordinating counsel teams representing clients in the pest control, manufacturing, retail, automotive, pharmaceutical and health care industries.

Ms. Jones also has represented companies, community banks, and national/regional banks as both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of complex commercial, financial institution, and business litigation matters, including claims for breach of contract, lender liability, business torts, fraud, RICO, wrongful foreclosure and other business disputes.

Ms. Jones draws upon her experience as a trial lawyer and her problem-solving skills to assist in pre-litigation claim investigations, risk assessments and early case evaluations to achieve cost-effective outcomes for her clients. She has successfully resolved numerous cases through mediation and is a trained civil mediator registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.

Ms. Jones began practicing at Powell Goldstein LLP, where she was a partner from 1994-2008, and was counsel in the Atlanta office of the international law firm Bryan Cave LLP from 2009-2013.

She has been a frequent speaker and presenter on a variety of topics, including trial skills, expert witness issues, toxic tort developments, causation in personal injury litigation and workplace diversity issues.

Ms. Jones is an active community leader and volunteer, serving on the Boards of national and local non-profit organizations and is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2015. She is an avid sports fan and recreational runner who enjoys gardening, politics, music and outdoor activities.

Memberships

State Bar of Georgia

Atlanta Bar Association, Litigation and Environmental & Toxic Tort Sections

State Bar of Georgia, Environmental Law and Product Liability Sections

Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia Inc.

Community Involvement

Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2015

Jerusalem House, Board of Directors, 2008-2014; Executive Committee, 2010-2014

Human Rights Campaign, National Board of Directors, 2007-2013; Board of Governors, 2003-2007; Atlanta Steering Committee, 2002-2014

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, volunteer fundraiser participating in half-marathons, marathons, and triathlons, 2001-2008

Chattahoochee Weimaraner Club, Board of Directors, 2009-2012

Practice Highlights

Experience

  • $19,000 judgement awarded to family against landlord

    Successfully defended a family against their landlord. The landlord filed proceedings seeking to recover unpaid rent while our client filed a counterclaim for failure to repair, breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation. The Judge awarded the family $4,000 in compensatory damage and ordered the landlord to pay $15,000 in punitive damages.

  • Pesticide exposure litigation coordinating counsel

    Led team serving as regional and national coordinating counsel for a major national termite and pest control service provider, defending the company in cases involving claims for personal injury and property damages arising out of alleged pesticide exposures.

    Appeared as lead counsel in multiple jurisdictions, handling all aspects of the company’s defense, from selection and management of local counsel, through discovery, dispositive motions, mediation ...

  • Defense of consumer class action against carpet manufacturer

    Defeated certification of putative national consumer class action against carpet manufacturer involving claims of personal injury and violation of various state unfair and deceptive trade practices statutes (UDTPA) arising out of sale of new carpet that emitted allegedly harmful levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

  • Defense of consumer fraud actions

    Defended termite service provider in state court actions in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina involving allegations of consumer fraud and violations of state consumer protection statutes. Successes include defeat on appeal of class certification in consumer class action asserting claims of consumer fraud and violations of Georgia Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

  • Banking and Financial institutions litigation

    Defend financial institutions in cases alleging lender liability, wrongful foreclosure, consumer fraud, and violations of various federal statutes and regulations, including Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Successes include securing voluntary dismissal in the face of motion to dismiss a putative state-wide class action asserting claims for fraud arising out of sale of credit insurance products and obtaining orders granting summary judgment on ...

  • Defense of automotive negligence and product liability litigation

    Defended national truck and trailer rental company in accident litigation involving allegations of negligence, product liability, and negligent entrustment. Served as lead counsel defending the company and its employees in numerous matters and conducted pre‐litigation investigations, evaluations and negotiations. Successful outcomes included leading the investigation and defense of five wrongful death actions arising out of a catastrophic single ...

  • National discovery counsel for major national retailer

    Led team that developed and implemented a national discovery counsel program for a major national retailer for its general liability claims, including premises liability and product liability claims. The program resulted in improvements in consistency and efficiency of discovery responses, improved litigation outcomes, and overall litigation cost reduction.

  • Pharmaceutical liability and medical device litigation

    Defense of pharmaceutical liability and medical device litigation involving contraceptives, medicines for treatment and prevention of bone loss, blood thinners, cholesterol reduction medicines, anti‐depressants, and latex gloves. Examples of experience include: obtaining orders excluding opposing expert opinions and granting summary judgment; development and coordination of expert witness testimony in Multi-District Litigation; serving on ...

  • Toxic tort and product liability claims for Fortune 500 manufacturing client

    Served as national coordinating counsel for a Fortune 500 manufacturing client, managing all toxic tort and product liability claims nationwide. Coordinated the company’s defense with local counsel in individual cases brought in over a dozen different states. Reviewed and created a database of relevant company documents and coordinated document production in various cases. Prepared and defended key corporate representative, executive and management ...

Newsroom

Speaking Engagements

  • "Presenting to the Judge and Jury," The Rules of Evidence: A Practical Toolkit, National Business Institute Seminar
    April 28, 2017
  • National Business Institute: CLEs on Trial Practice, Evidence, various Litigation topics
    2004-2014
  • "Improving Outcomes and Reducing Costs: A Primer on Early Case Assessment," ACC GA
    August 12, 2014
  • "Post-Racial Diversity," AIMD Global Diversity Conference
    October 2009
  • "Workplace Diversity," Atlanta Diversity Managers
    August 2008
  • Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia: CLE speaker on Litigation, Product Liability, Toxic Torts
    1999-2007
  • "Managing Serial or Repetitive Litigation," Association of Corporate Counsel, Georgia Chapter
    July 2005
  • "Toxic Tort Defenses," Alabama State Bar Association Environmental Law Section
    June 2003
  • "Federal Preemption Update," American Law Institute/American Bar Association Product Liability Conference
    July 2001
  • "Medical and Scientific Issues: Strategic Considerations," Mealey’s Toxic Tort Conference
    April 2000
  • "Indoor Air Pollution/Sick Building Syndrome: Liability," Mealey’s Toxic Torts: New Exposures Conference
    April 1999

Publications

Education

The University of Georgia, JD, magna cum laude, 1986

The University of Georgia, AB, magna cum laude, 1983

Arbitration Training and Skills Practicum, Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service Inc., 2014

Civil Mediation Training and Skills Practicum, Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service Inc., 2012

Bar Admissions

Georgia

Courts & Adjudicative Bodies

Court of Appeals of Georgia

Supreme Court of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Accolades

Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated

Georgia Super Lawyer, 2007

The University of Georgia, Order of the Coif, Order of Barristers, Phi Beta Kappa