Bernard Taylor, Sr., retired partner in Alston & Bird’s Litigation & Trial Practice Group, has been honored by Georgia State College of Law with its 2021 “Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award” for his professional excellence and philanthropic leadership.
Taylor is a past chair of Alston & Bird’s Partners Committee and the firm’s Products Liability Group. He has almost 40 years of trial experience and concentrated his practice on complex commercial litigation, including class actions, mass torts, and products liability lawsuits filed in various jurisdictions throughout the U.S. A former Detroit police investigator involved in both state and federal investigations, Taylor recently joined the JAMS Atlanta Resolution Center, where he will serve as an arbitrator and mediator.
Focusing on his commitment to public service, Taylor is the chair of the southeast regional board of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). He has traveled with ADL to France, England, and Israel to gain a better understanding of the global impact of hate, bigotry, and antisemitism and received ADL’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Additionally, he works with UNICEF and travels to Africa and the Middle East on field visits to assess living conditions and to find ways to improve the lives of vulnerable children. In 2014, the southeast regional board for UNICEF USA awarded him its Global Philanthropist Award. Taylor is also the former chair of the DeKalb County chapter of 100 Black Men of America and current chair of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.
The Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award is presented to a living Georgia attorney whose accomplishments reflect the tradition of public service exemplified by Johnson throughout his life. The award is named after Georgia State College of Law’s founding dean, and the winner is selected each year by a committee of faculty, alumni, and other legal professionals.
Taylor is a past chair of Alston & Bird’s Partners Committee and the firm’s Products Liability Group. He has almost 40 years of trial experience and concentrated his practice on complex commercial litigation, including class actions, mass torts, and products liability lawsuits filed in various jurisdictions throughout the U.S. A former Detroit police investigator involved in both state and federal investigations, Taylor recently joined the JAMS Atlanta Resolution Center, where he will serve as an arbitrator and mediator.
Focusing on his commitment to public service, Taylor is the chair of the southeast regional board of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). He has traveled with ADL to France, England, and Israel to gain a better understanding of the global impact of hate, bigotry, and antisemitism and received ADL’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Additionally, he works with UNICEF and travels to Africa and the Middle East on field visits to assess living conditions and to find ways to improve the lives of vulnerable children. In 2014, the southeast regional board for UNICEF USA awarded him its Global Philanthropist Award. Taylor is also the former chair of the DeKalb County chapter of 100 Black Men of America and current chair of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.
The Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award is presented to a living Georgia attorney whose accomplishments reflect the tradition of public service exemplified by Johnson throughout his life. The award is named after Georgia State College of Law’s founding dean, and the winner is selected each year by a committee of faculty, alumni, and other legal professionals.