Taylor | Ring in the News

John C. Taylor and Dave Ring Named Top 100 Lawyers for 2008

For the second consecutive year both John C. Taylor and Dave Ring were selected as two of the Top 100 Lawyers in all of Southern California by Los Angeles magazine's 2008 Super Lawyers publication. The top lawyers were selected by the magazine through a system that utilized peer evaluations, internal research, and a blue ribbon review process. There are only a few law firms that can boast having two lawyers in the Top 100 list for 2008.

Read the 2008 Super Lawyers profile of Taylor & Ring

Phil Spector Murder Case Ends In Mistrial

The murder case against Phil Spector ended in a hung jury and mistrial. The final tally was 10 jurors in favor of convicting the music mogul for the murder of Lana Clarkson and 2 jurors in favor of acquittal. As a result, the entire criminal case will have to be repeated before a new jury. It is anticipated that the second criminal trial of Phil Spector will begin in 2008. Taylor & Ring continue to represent the family of Lana Clarkson in their wrongful death lawsuit against Phil Spector. The civil case cannot go forward until the criminal case ends in a conviction or acquittal.

Taylor & Ring Recognized as "Best Lawyers in America" for 2008

In 2008, John C. Taylor and Dave Ring were again selected for inclusion in Woodward & White's "The Best Lawyers in America." This publication is widely recognized as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. A lawyer can only be selected by way of a strict nomination and voting process involving a select group of lawyers.

John Taylor and Dave Ring nominated for CAALA's Trial Lawyers of the Year

The Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles nominated John Taylor and Dave Ring for its 2007 "Trial Lawyer of the Year" award for their work on the trial that resulted in a $18.6 million verdict for an injured motorcyclist.

Phil Spector Murder Case Ongoing

Taylor & Ring represents the family of Lana Clarkson in their wrongful death lawsuit against music producer Phil Spector, which is currently ongoing in the Los Angeles County criminal courthouse. Spector is accused of shooting and killing Ms. Clarkson as she attempted to leave his home. Testimony has shown that Spector has a history of threatening with a gun women who rebuff his advances. The Clarkson's civil wrongful death lawsuit is on hold until the criminal trial is concluded. John C. Taylor is handling the case for the firm.

Lawyer Louanne Masry Joins Firm

Louanne Masry, daughter of renowned attorney Edward Masry of “Erin Brockovich” fame, has left her late-father's law firm Masry & Vititoe in Westlake Village and joined forces with Taylor & Ring. Louanne has tremendous legal experience and is an outstanding lawyer and person, and we are proud and excited to have her join our firm.

Record Jury Verdict - $18.6 million

On April 19, 2007, a Norwalk jury returned a verdict in favor of Taylor & Ring's client, Joyson Mallabo, for $18.6 million for serious injuries Mr. Mallabo suffered in a motorcycle accident in 2004. It is believed that this is the largest personal injury jury verdict ever rendered in the Norwalk courthouse, and one of the largest verdicts in California in 2007.

Read the Los Angeles Daily Journal article:

Company Must Pay Injured Man $18 Million

John Taylor and David Ring Selected as "Top 100" Lawyers in Southern California

Los Angeles magazine's "Super Lawyers" publication selected John C. Taylor and David M. Ring as two of the top 100 lawyers in Southern California for 2007. The top one hundred lawyers were selected through an extensive balloting, research and blue ribbon panel review process.

Read the 2007 Super Lawyers' profile on John Taylor & Dave Ring

Signal Hill Police Department Pays $1 Million To Assault Victim

The City of Signal Hill paid a $1 million settlement to the firm's client, a 42-year old female, who was sexually assaulted by two Signal Hill police officers twenty years earlier when she was a teenage Explorer Scout. The case was brought under a 2003 law that allowed adults to pursue lawsuits for sexual abuse that occurred many years ago when they were minors.

Read the Long Beach Press Telegram article:

Signal Hill Settles With Woman Who Claimed Rape

Read the Chief of Police's letter of apology

Taylor & Ring Again Recognized as "Best Lawyers in America"

In 2007, John C. Taylor and David M. Ring were again named to Woodward & White's "The Best Lawyers in America." This publication is widely recognized as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. A lawyer can only be selected by way of a strict nomination and voting process involving a select group of lawyers.

Robert Clayton Named As One of the Top Lawyers Under Age 40 In Southern California By Los Angeles magazine

Robert Clayton was once again recognized in 2007 as a "Rising Star" in Southern California by Los Angeles magazine. Only 2.5 percent of the total lawyers in Southern California were recognized as "Rising Stars" -lawyers under age forty who had achieved impressive accomplishments in their careers. Clayton received this honor previously in 2006.

Construction Cases Result In Combined $2.4 Million Settlements

The firm settled two cases involving negligence by construction companies for a combined $2.4 million. In one case, which settled for over $1.5 million, an undocumented man fell to his death from the third floor of an apartment complex because construction crews who were remodeling the building removed a railing on a walkway without adequate warnings. The plaintiffs were the man's parents, who lived in Mexico. The other case involved a worker who fell from a defective ladder at a construction site, causing serious injuries. He received almost $900,000. David Ring and Robert Clayton handled the cases for the firm.

John C. Taylor Named One of the "Top 500" Plaintiffs' Lawyers In The Nation

In 2007 the respected legal magazine Lawdragon selected John C. Taylor as one of the top 500 leading plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States. This recognition places Taylor in an elite class of lawyers across the nation: less than one-half of one percent of America's 1.1 million lawyers received this honor.

Two Victims of Sexual Abuse Receive $2 Million

A 13-year old girl who was the victim of unlawful sex by a hospital worker and a 13-year old boy who was sexually assaulted by a priest were able to settle their respective cases before trial. The girl received a $1,250,000 settlement from the hospital and the boy was paid $750,000 by the church. David Ring and Robert Clayton handled the cases on behalf of the firm.

Taylor & Ring Again Recognized as "Best Lawyers in America" and as Southern California "Super Lawyers"

In 2006, John C. Taylor and David M. Ring were again named to Woodward & White's "The Best Lawyers in America." This publication is widely recognized as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. John and David were also named as 2006 Southern California "Super Lawyers" by Los Angeles magazine, and Robert Clayton was recognized as a 2006 "Rising Star" by the same publication.

California Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case Handled by Taylor & Ring

In June 2006, the California Supreme Court granted a petition for review filed by Taylor & Ring involving a sexual abuse case. The case was brought on behalf of two adult men who, as teenagers, were involved in the Explorer Scout program with the Los Angeles Police Department. The men claim they were sexually assaulted by Officer David Kalish, who eventually became a high-ranking member of the LAPD. Both the trial court and Court of Appeal rejected the victims' claims on technical statute of limitations grounds. The Supreme Court, however, found the issue to be one of great importance to other victims of sexual abuse, and granted review of the lower courts' decisions. A decision is not expected until early 2008.

Taylor & Ring File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Music Producer Phil Spector

In February 2005, Taylor & Ring filed a wrongful death lawsuit against music producer Phil Spector following the death of actress Lana Clarkson at Spector's home in February 2003. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and is brought on behalf of Lana's mother, Donna Clarkson. The suit contends that Spector shot Lana to death inside his mansion. Spector is facing murder charges in the highly-publicized criminal case now pending against him. John C. Taylor represents the Clarkson family.

Read the Los Angeles Daily Journal Article

Phil Spector Wrongful Death Lawsuit - Complaint

Two Sisters Receive $1.5 Million As Result Of Sexual Abuse By Teacher

In April 2005, a California school district paid $1.5 million to settle the case of two sisters who were sexually abused by their seventh grade teacher. The girls were 13 years old at the time of the incidents, which occurred two years apart, in 1999 and 2001. The school was liable because the older sister reported the initial abuse to a teacher's assistant whom she trusted. Yet, the assistant failed to report the incidents to the school or authorities because she herself was having a sexual affair with the perpetrator, and did not want the affair exposed. The perpetrator was finally arrested in 2002, and sent to prison for 15 years. David Ring handled the case for the firm.

$1.350 Million Verdict For Medical Malpractice Victim

In June 2004, a Redondo Beach jury awarded the firm's client $1,350,000 in damages as a result of medical malpractice by a doctor who failed to timely diagnose the plaintiff's prostate cancer. The plaintiff's life expectancy was shortened as a result. The defendant doctor offered no money to settle the case prior to trial.

$13 Million Verdict For Injured Trucker

In February 2004, John C. Taylor obtained the largest civil verdict in the Alhambra court house, when his client was awarded $13 million after a month-long trial in a case involving a negligently repaired forklift. The plaintiff, a 42-year old truck driver, was seriously injured on a car dealership's premises where he was making a delivery. The forklift performed in an erratic fashion which caused it to accelerate quickly, strike an overhead object, and topple over on top of the plaintiff, rendering him a paraplegic. Before trial, the car dealership paid a $5.6 million settlement.

MTA Settles Hollywood Bus Molester Case For $1.850 Million

In February 2004, the Los Angeles County MTA agreed to pay $1,850,000 to a teenage boy who was falsely imprisoned and sexually assaulted by a MTA bus driver on a MTA bus. The boy was riding the bus into Hollywood to do some sight-seeing. He was the last one on the bus when the bus driver blocked him from leaving and began the assault. The boy turned on his camcorder, thus recording the entire incident. The driver, a convicted felon, was arrested, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. This settlement came two years after Taylor & Ring reached a $1.950 million settlement with the MTA in another case in which a MTA bus driver raped a female passenger.

Boys Receive Record $6.75 Million Settlement in School Sexual Abuse Case

A public school district in Orange County paid a record $6.75 million to six boys who were molested by their fourth grade teacher. It is believed that this is the largest sexual abuse settlement paid by a California school district stemming from the criminal acts of one teacher.

Lawsuit Filed in Hollywood Bus Molester Case

In July 2002, Taylor & Ring filed a lawsuit against the MTA arising from a shocking incident of sexual assault committed by an MTA bus driver against a teenager who was riding the bus into Hollywood to do some sight-seeing. The boy, age 15, turned on his camcorder as the assault took place, thus recording the entire incident. He turned the video into the police. The driver, a convicted felon, was arrested, pled guilty, and was sentenced to thirty years in prison. The filing of the lawsuit was announced at a press conference held at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.

Product Liability Action Against Chrysler Is Resolved

Taylor & Ring recently settled an action against Daimler-Chrysler in which it alleged that the air bag in their client's vehicle was defective. Plaintiffs alleged that when the air bag deployed in a minor traffic accident, small pieces of fiberglass from the defective airbag flew into the passenger's eye, causing serious injury. The case settled on the eve of trial for a confidential amount.

Taylor & Ring Settle Rape Case Against MTA For $1.950 million

In June 2002, Taylor & Ring settled an action brought on behalf of a 26-year old female who was raped on an MTA bus by the bus driver. The case settled for $1.950 million. The bus driver had a long history of violent behavior, including a prior sexual assault of another female bus passenger in the mid-1980's. Before it settled the case, the MTA admitted 100% fault for allowing the rape to occur, a highly unusual admission in these types of cases.

John C. Taylor and David Ring Open New Law Firm

John C. Taylor and David M. Ring joined forces to create their new firm, Taylor & Ring. The firm opened its doors on February 1, 2002. The firm is located at Murdock Plaza, in Los Angeles, California.