Tara L. Blake

Tara L.

Blake

Overview

Tara primarily practices within Butler Snow's Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Litigation Group.

Experience

  • As an attorney in Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare group, Tara Blake represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in product liability litigation across the country, with experience in all aspects of mass tort litigation.  She has also represented insurance and financial services companies across the country in individual and multi-party litigation involving a wide variety of coverage lines including professional and commercial liability, life, health, property and fidelity/crime coverage, defending against complex, bad-faith, class and punitive damages claims.
    • Regularly represent insurers across the country in individual and multi-party litigation involving a wide variety of coverage lines including professional and commercial liability, life, health, property and fidelity/crime coverage.
    • Practice has concentrated on defending insurance companies against complex, bad-faith, fraud, class and punitive damages claims.
    • Prepared witnesses for depositions and/or trial as lead lawyer in preparation.
    • Served as primary contact for multiple clients on issues of case strategic development and all aspects of litigation.
    • Acted as lead counsel in hearings in multiple jurisdictions – including Tennessee, California, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
    • Served as trial lawyer assisting and trying multiple cases with lead counsel, obtaining defense victory in a multi-week jury trials on bad faith/claims insurance issues.
    • Litigated matters in more than 10 states.
    • Planned, organized and spoke at multiple marketing presentations to clients for the Insurance and Financial Services Litigation Practice Group.
    • Advise clients on insurance compliance and coverage issues.
    • Research and draft legal briefs and monitor legal updates affecting clients.
  • Tara served as trial counsel in a seven day jury trial involving pelvic mesh that resulted in a defense verdict in March 2022. McBroom v. Ethicon, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-02127, United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
  • Tara also served on the trial team that obtained complete defense victory in a multi week jury trial on bad-faith/claims issues involving employee theft coverage following a $50 million pretrial damages claim. McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc., et al. v. The Hartford Financial Services Group, No. 30-2011-00463182, California Superior Court, County of Orange (Hon. Mary Fingal Schulte / Dept. C6).

Distinctions

  • Nashville Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2023
  • Best Lawyers in America®
    • Ones to Watch, Insurance Law, 2021-2024
    • Ones to Watch, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2021-2024
  • Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation

Bar Admissions

  • Alabama, 2011
  • California, 2017
  • Tennessee, 2017

Education

  • University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., 2011
    • Managing Editor, Alabama Law Review
    • Order of the Coif
    • Hugo L. Black Scholar
    • Recipient of Dean M. Leigh Harrison Award
    • Bench & Bar 
  • Furman University, B.S., Psychology, 2006
    • Vice-President, Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society 

Associations

  • Trial Attorneys of America
  • American Bar Association
    • Young Lawyers Division
  • Alabama Bar Association
  • California Bar Association

Papers, Presentations & Publications

Tara L.

Blake

Overview

Tara primarily practices within Butler Snow's Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Litigation Group.

Experience

  • As an attorney in Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare group, Tara Blake represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in product liability litigation across the country, with experience in all aspects of mass tort litigation.  She has also represented insurance and financial services companies across the country in individual and multi-party litigation involving a wide variety of coverage lines including professional and commercial liability, life, health, property and fidelity/crime coverage, defending against complex, bad-faith, class and punitive damages claims.
    • Regularly represent insurers across the country in individual and multi-party litigation involving a wide variety of coverage lines including professional and commercial liability, life, health, property and fidelity/crime coverage.
    • Practice has concentrated on defending insurance companies against complex, bad-faith, fraud, class and punitive damages claims.
    • Prepared witnesses for depositions and/or trial as lead lawyer in preparation.
    • Served as primary contact for multiple clients on issues of case strategic development and all aspects of litigation.
    • Acted as lead counsel in hearings in multiple jurisdictions – including Tennessee, California, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
    • Served as trial lawyer assisting and trying multiple cases with lead counsel, obtaining defense victory in a multi-week jury trials on bad faith/claims insurance issues.
    • Litigated matters in more than 10 states.
    • Planned, organized and spoke at multiple marketing presentations to clients for the Insurance and Financial Services Litigation Practice Group.
    • Advise clients on insurance compliance and coverage issues.
    • Research and draft legal briefs and monitor legal updates affecting clients.
  • Tara served as trial counsel in a seven day jury trial involving pelvic mesh that resulted in a defense verdict in March 2022. McBroom v. Ethicon, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-02127, United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
  • Tara also served on the trial team that obtained complete defense victory in a multi week jury trial on bad-faith/claims issues involving employee theft coverage following a $50 million pretrial damages claim. McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc., et al. v. The Hartford Financial Services Group, No. 30-2011-00463182, California Superior Court, County of Orange (Hon. Mary Fingal Schulte / Dept. C6).

Distinctions

  • Nashville Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2023
  • Best Lawyers in America®
    • Ones to Watch, Insurance Law, 2021-2024
    • Ones to Watch, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2021-2024
  • Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation

Bar Admissions

  • Alabama, 2011
  • California, 2017
  • Tennessee, 2017

Education

  • University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., 2011
    • Managing Editor, Alabama Law Review
    • Order of the Coif
    • Hugo L. Black Scholar
    • Recipient of Dean M. Leigh Harrison Award
    • Bench & Bar 
  • Furman University, B.S., Psychology, 2006
    • Vice-President, Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society 

Associations

  • Trial Attorneys of America
  • American Bar Association
    • Young Lawyers Division
  • Alabama Bar Association
  • California Bar Association

Papers, Presentations & Publications