Taylor, Michael L.
Mr. Taylor is a senior partner and trial lawyer in the firm with extensive jury trial experience in state and federal courts. Mr. Taylor's practice has been somewhat unique in that while he has considerable jury trial experience, he also has extensive bench trial experience in the area of matrimonial law. Accordingly, his experience and expertise extends to a wide range of civil disputes, such as: medical malpractice, complex commercial cases, employment and labor disputes, product liability claims, personal injury actions, wrongful death claims and complex divorce litigation, including disputes involving substantial marital estates and custody litigation.
In the family law area, Mr. Taylor has handled over 600 family law matters, including contested divorce, legal separation, paternity, custody and modification actions. Mr. Taylor's clients have prevailed in 21 of the last 25 contested custody cases Mr. Taylor has tried.
Mr. Taylor has had a number of cases profiled or noted in Missouri Lawyers Weekly and he has appeared on the CBS news program "48 Hours", as that program profiled one of his cases involving alienation of affection.
Mr. Taylor is admitted to practice law in Missouri state and federal courts and has been so since 1982. He has also been admitted to practice before numerous United States District Courts around the country, including Kansas, Wyoming and Wisconsin. He was admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in 1986 and the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in 1987 and the United States Supreme Court in 1999.
Mr. Taylor graduated from the Kansas City Kansas Community College, receiving an Associates degree in political science and sociology in 1977. Thereafter, he received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas with a double major in political science and sociology in 1979. Mr. Taylor received his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1982. Mr. Taylor was a law clerk to the 29th Judicial District Court of Kansas from 1981 to 1982. Mr. Taylor began his active law practice in St. Joseph, Missouri with the law firm of Watkins, Boulware, Lucas and Miner in 1982. He thereafter became an equity partner in 1986. The firm changed its name to Watkins, Boulware, Lucas, Miner, Murphy and Taylor in 1988.
In 1989, at the age of 35, Mr. Taylor was the recipient of the Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award. This award is given annually by The Missouri Bar Foundation to select trial attorneys who have demonstrated unusual proficiency in the art of trial advocacy. In 1994, at the age of 40, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, recognizing outstanding lawyers in the area of matrimonial law in the United States. In 2000, for his successful representation of plaintiffs, Mr. Taylor was certified as a member of The Million Dollar Advocate Forum. Membership is limited to attorneys who have demonstrated excellence in advocacy, and who have won million and multi-million dollars verdicts, awards and settlements. Mr. Taylor is a member of the St. Joseph Missouri and American Bar Associations. Mr. Taylor is an "AV" rated attorney.
Mr. Taylor has participated as a speaker at educational seminars nation-wide for various professional organizations, including the Missouri Bar. He has presented to groups which have included attorneys, judges, medical doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health professionals, corporate personnel and human resource directors and the general public. As a speaker he has presented on such issues as trial tactics, evidence, discovery, expert witnesses, ethics, tax considerations, employment law and other timely and relevant topics.
Mr. Taylor is the author of Chapter 18, entitled "Trial Practice" of the Missouri Family Law Fifth Edition and a co-author of Chapter 19, entitled "Discovery" of the same publication. Mr. Taylor also serves as a reviewer for the Missouri Bar of proposed CLE deskbook chapter material.
Mr. Taylor served as an instructor at Missouri Western State College from 1985 - 1994, teaching classes in Tort Law; Litigation-Practices and Procedures; and Business Organizations.
Mr. Taylor was born November 2, 1954, in Booneville, Missouri. Mr. Taylor grew up primarily in Blue Springs, Missouri, where he attended high school until his senior year when his family moved to Bonner Springs, Kansas. He is married, resides in St. Joseph, and has three children (two daughters and a son).
Mr. Taylor is a long-standing Sunday School teacher, youth director and director of Vacation Bible School at churches where he has attended. At present, he is a member of Wyatt Park Baptist Church, where he is an adult class Sunday School teacher and his wife, Janet, is director of Sunday School education K through 6th grade and part-time preschool teacher.
Mr. Taylor is also a contributor to St. Joseph Young Life and is extremely active in other youth activities, including coaching St. Joseph boys baseball and girls basketball.
Mr. Taylor is a graduate of Leadership St. Joseph 1983. He was co-chairman of Leadership Tomorrow, an advanced leadership training program for select St. Joseph high school students. In 1985, Mr. Taylor was the recipient of the Volunteer Award of Recognition for Outstanding Volunteer Service to the St. Joseph Community. He has been very active in other civic organizations, including various fund drives for community groups and has served as a member of the United Way Allocations Committee, the Board of Directors of the Midland Empire Diabetes Association and Dual Ministry, Inc.
Mr. Taylor enjoys family and church activities and coaching his children's sports teams.
Watkins, Boulware, Lucas, Miner, Murphy & Taylor, LLP
3007 Frederick Ave.
PO Box 6157
St. Joseph, Missouri 64506
(t) (816) 364-6677
(f) (816) 364-9677
Email: mike.taylor@mtselaw.com
www.mtselaw.com