Firm News
LAUSD TEACHER ACCUSED OF GROOMING, SEXUALLY ABUSING TEEN GIRL
CBS Los Angeles reports that Taylor & Ring attorney Brendan Gilbert filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District and Hamilton High School teacher Barry Smolin, alleging that Smolin groomed and sexually abused a teenage student over the course of several years. “Most concerning is that it took place in his classroom,” Gilbert…
Read MoreFORMER VISALIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE FACES FELONY SEXUAL ABUSE CHARGES
ABC 30 Action News reports that Taylor & Ring attorney Brendan Gilbert successfully secured an $8 million settlement in a sexual abuse case against Visalia Unified School District. Gilbert spoke to reporters about the former campus supervisor named in the lawsuit, “He’s a textbook predator. He’s victimized minor females essentially everywhere he’s gone in his…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring’s John Taylor and Dave Ring Named to the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers
Congratulations to partners John Taylor and Dave Ring for making the Daily Journal’s list of Top 100 Lawyers for 2025! You can read more about this exciting honor . The Daily Journal’s list recognizes 100 standout attorneys across the state based on their legal accomplishments, professional reputation, and impact on the legal community. Taylor &…
Read MoreThree Taylor & Ring Partners Make LA Times Consumer Attorney Visionaries List
We’re genuinely excited to share that three Taylor & Ring lawyers—founding partners John C. Taylor and David M. Ring, and partner Natalie Weatherford—have been named to the LA Times Consumer Attorney Visionaries list. This honor reflects years of careful, client-centered advocacy and the kind of results that change lives and policies. What the Consumer Attorney…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Best Lawyers® Lists!
We’re excited to share that five of our attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America! These awards are more than just a nod—they’re a big deal. Best Lawyers honors are among the most respected in the legal profession, because they’re…
Read MoreDave Ring and John C. Taylor Named to LABJ’s “Leader of Influence: Litigators and Trial Attorneys” List
The team at Taylor & Ring would like to congratulate partners Dave Ring and John C. Taylor upon being named to the 2025 Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Leader of Influence: Litigators and Trial Attorneys” list. We applaud Dave and John for their outstanding achievement and work, and congratulate all the attorneys who made the list!…
Read MoreLos Angeles Times – Dorm staffer threatened to bite off deaf student’s finger if he revealed sexual abuse, lawsuit claims
The Los Angeles Times reported on a $14 million settlement secured by attorneys Dave Ring and Natalie Weatherford on behalf of a former student at the California School for the Deaf, who was sexually abused for years by a dorm staffer with a known history of complaints. “We learned that for 30 years this CSD employee was…
Read MoreCelebrating Taylor & Ring’s 2025 Best Law Firms Recognition
Taylor & Ring is honored to announce that we made the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list for 2025. We earned Metropolitan Tier 1 recognition in Los Angeles for two categories: Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs. This recognition is a great opportunity for our team to…
Read MoreNatalie Weatherford Has Been Named to Daily Journal Top Plaintiff Lawyers 2024 List
Taylor & Ring is proud to announce that partner Natalie Weatherford has been named to Daily Journal Top Plaintiff Lawyers 2024 list! This annual list honors the top plaintiff lawyers in California. David M. RingDavid Ring is a nationally renowned plaintiff’s personal injury trial attorney and has obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Reach $24 Million Settlement for Three Women Abused by Grade School Teacher
Taylor & Ring’s Dave Ring recently secured a $24 million settlement for three women who were sexually abused by their teacher at Langdon Avenue Elementary between 2006 and 2007. The $24 million will be divided between the three women for $8 million each, making the awards the largest settlements the LAUSD has ever paid out.…
Read MoreCity of LA Will Pay $9.5M Over Fatal Shooting of Trader Joe’s Manager
The City of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle a lawsuit over the 2018 police shooting that resulted in the death of Trader Joe’s assistant manager Melyda Corado. The incident occurred when LAPD officers Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans were pursuing suspect Gene Atkins, who fled into the store after a…
Read MoreWoman Sexually Assaulted by Jail Employee Sues Santa Barbara County
A former female inmate is suing Santa Barbara County, alleging that the county’s “policy of inaction” allowed for her sexual assault by a jail employee, Salvador Vargas, in 2018. Vargas, who was later convicted, had multiple previous complaints against him that the county allegedly ignored. The lawsuit, set for trial in September, argues that the…
Read MoreSeven Taylor & Ring Attorneys Named to LawDragon’s 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Lawyers
Taylor & Ring in Los Angeles is proud to announce that seven of our attorneys have been named to LawDragon’s 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers! Congratulations to the team at Taylor & Ring for receiving this honor. About the LawDragon 500 Per LawDragon: This is our 7th edition of this guide, our…
Read MoreCongratulations to Our Attorneys Named to the 2025 Best Lawyers® List!
The 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ are out, and Taylor & Ring is proud to have eight lawyers make these esteemed lists. Please join us as we congratulate our hard-working team! Each year, Best Lawyers compiles a list of leading attorneys in particular regions and practices. Spots on…
Read MoreFamily Files Claim Against Santa Barbara Charter School and Teacher Accused of Secretly Filming Students
The family of a Santa Barbara student has filed a claim against a teacher accused of secretly recording students in a school bathroom. The teacher allegedly used a hidden camera to capture footage of students in the restroom, leading to legal action. The claim seeks damages for emotional distress and invasion of privacy. The school…
Read MoreNatalie Weatherford Named to Daily Journal Top Women Lawyers!
Taylor & Ring is proud to announce that partner Natalie Weatherford has been named to Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers list for 2024! This annual list honors the top performing woman attorneys in California. You can read more at the Daily Journal, or check out the profile below: Natalie WeatherfordNatalie Weatherford is a partner at…
Read MoreCongratulations to Sara Pross, Recipient of Taylor & Ring’s Annual Victim Advocate Scholarship!
Taylor & Ring is proud to announce that Sara Pross is this year’s recipient of the Taylor & Ring Victim Advocate Scholarship. Sara is a 1L student at New England Law in Boston. Sara is an extraordinary young person who tackles challenges head on. A natural leader, she served as the President of Clemson Panhellenic…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Files Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Benicia Unified School District
Taylor & Ring recently filed a lawsuit against the Benicia Unified School District and a former teacher, alleging the district was negligent in its hiring and supervising of 42-year-old Matthew Shelton, who is accused of sexually assaulting a Jane Doe during the 2022-2023 school year. Per the Vallejo Sun, “Shelton was charged with five felony…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Secures $13M Verdict Against Los Angeles Unified School District
On February 26, Taylor & Ring secured a $13M verdict against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), in a case involving a 9th-grade student (Jane Doe) and a 19-year-old special needs assistant named Daniel Garcia. The 14-year-old was a student at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) in 2014 when Garcia groomed and sexually…
Read More$61.7 Million Verdict Featured in Daily Journal Top Verdicts 2023
Taylor & Ring is proud to announce that the $61.7 million verdict for Esphorst vs. Hicks was features in Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts for 2023. Robert Clayton, Senior Partner at Taylor & Ring, represented the family in this case. We invite you to read the writeup here, or to access the story on Daily Journal’s…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Secures $61.7 Million Verdict for Victims of Deadly Car Chase
The LA Times has reported that on December 14th, six long years after the death of a teen in a civilian car chase, Taylor and Ring secured a verdict in the amount of $61.7 million to the victim’s parents. In Inglewood, the L.A. County Superior Court jury granted $23.25 million in compensatory damages to Julie…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Secures $25 Million Sexual Abuse Verdict Against Santa Barbara Unified School District
On December 11th, Taylor and Ring secured a $25 million award verdict against Santa Barbara Unified School District for the sexual abuse committed against a victim referred to as John Doe #2. The convicted abuser was former security guard and assistant football coach Justin Sell at Dos Pueblos High School. John Doe #2 had testified…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Named to Best Law Firms for 2024
The entire team at Taylor & Ring is proud to announce that we have been named to U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list for 2024. We’re happy to once again be recognized as a Tier 1 firm in the areas of personal injury litigation and product liability litigation for plaintiffs in the Los Angeles…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Secures $7.9 Million Settlement in Grover Cleveland Charter High School Sex Abuse Case
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has agreed to a $7.9 million settlement with a woman who was sexually abused by a teacher at Grover Cleveland Charter High School during her time as a student. This is the fourth lawsuit LAUSD has settled this year because of sexual assault and abuse cases involving the…
Read MoreTaylor & Ring Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Victim of Riverside County Sexual Assault, Hush Money Scandal
On September 20, Riverside County sheriff’s deputy Christian Phillip Heidecker was charged with 18 felony counts, stemming from acts of sexual abuse and extortion against females held in custody. On September 26, it was revealed that Riverside County tried to cover up the scandal by paying at least two of the victims hush money. Dave…
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