Texas Super Lawyers® ...

Texas Super Lawyers® Recognizes 4 Butler Snow Attorneys

September 22, 2021 | by Butler Snow

Super Lawyers® has recognized four Butler Snow attorneys in its 2021 edition of Texas Super Lawyers®.

Gary W. Davis has been recognized for personal injury – products: defense; Eric J.R. Nichols has been recognized for business litigation; and D. Todd Smith and Amanda G. Taylor have been recognized for appellate.

“We congratulate these attorneys on this significant and well-deserved honor,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow. “This recognition demonstrates their continued commitment and dedication to excellent client service and their practices.”

Super Lawyers® is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous process, including a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. Only 5% of lawyers in each state or region are named to the Super Lawyers® list.

Gary W. Davis, Jr. | Personal Injury – Products: Defense

Davis is a member of Butler Snow’s product liability, toxic tort and environmental litigation group and focuses his practice on product liability and environmental litigation. He serves as first chair counsel for many clients and has tried cases in various states for vehicle and various other product manufacturers, aircraft companies, energy companies, minority shareholders, will contestants and those accused of fraudulent asset transfers.

Davis is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers® since 2012. He received his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Kansas and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from The University of Texas.

Eric J.R. Nichols | Business Litigation

Nichols focuses his practice in the areas of civil and criminal litigation with a special emphasis on representing companies and individuals in business and commercial disputes, including pre-litigation counseling, the prosecution and defense of civil cases filed in court, the defense of civil claims pursued by government agencies, and trials in courts and arbitrations. He also focuses his practice on representing companies and individuals during white-collar criminal investigations and proceedings in both the federal and state criminal justice systems. Nichols is a former deputy attorney general for criminal justice for the office of the Texas attorney general and a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

Nichols has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers® since 2003. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Texas Bar Foundation, and the Austin Bar Foundation, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Austin Bar Association, and the Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Nichols received his bachelor’s degree, with distinction, from the University of Virginia and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law.

D. Todd Smith | Appellate

A member of Butler Snow’s Appellate group, Smith represents clients as lead appellate counsel and works with trial teams throughout Texas in all phases of civil litigation. He is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers® since 2013.

Smith is the creator, producer and co-host of the Texas Appellate Law Podcastwhich shares insights and best practices through engaging conversations with top trial and appellate practitioners, judges and court staff. He is a local and state bar leader, having served as Austin Bar president, chair of the Austin Bar Foundation, a trustee of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society and on the State Bar’s Board of Directors. Smith is a Life Fellow of both the Austin Bar and Texas Bar Foundations and completed two terms on the St. Mary’s Law Alumni Board of Directors. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University, a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech University and a Juris Doctorate with honors from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Amanda G. Taylor | Appellate

Taylor serves as the Practice Group Leader of Butler Snow’s Appellate Group. She is a board-certified civil appellate specialist who practices in both trial and appellate courts throughout Texas and beyond.  Her widely-varied practice areas include disputes regarding complex business and commercial, real property, tax, employment, products, and consumer issues.  In each of these areas, Taylor applies her many years of experience in oral and written advocacy, combined with her deep understanding of Texas procedure and jurisprudence, to represent her clients successfully and efficiently. Additionally, Taylor serves as a professional mentor, is a member of the Texas State Bar Grievance Committee, is frequent author and presenter of Continuing Legal Education and has been recognized for her pro bono work.

Taylor has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers® since 2012. She is an active member of the State Bar of Texas, the Austin Bar Association, the Travis County Women Lawyers Association, and the Baylor Law School Alumni Association. Taylor received her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Baylor University School of Law.