Samantha B. Taylor

Samantha "Sam" Taylor is a member of the firm’s Litigation team, with a focus on a wide range of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes and business-related tort and statutory claims. She has experience partnering with businesses to mitigate risk and often advises clients on contracting best practices and a wide variety of compliance issues, including data privacy and security, and assists clients with internal and regulatory investigations. Sam is a natural problem solver, adept at crafting arguments and creative solutions for clients—she applies these skills when drafting pleadings and briefs, arguing motions in court, managing fact and expert discovery, preparing for and taking depositions and negotiating settlements.  

Sam is a North Carolina native who graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. During law school, she was Senior Articles Editor of the North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology, a member of the Holderness Moot Court National Team and a judicial extern to the Honorable Stephani Humrickhouse at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Raleigh. Prior to law school, Sam taught high school English as a Teach for America corps member in Eastern North Carolina. Before joining Smith Anderson, Sam practiced with an international law firm in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on product liability defense and business litigation.

Outside of work, Sam enjoys attending live sporting events and concerts, traveling, listening to true crime podcasts and exploring the Triangle’s food scene. 

Clerkships

• Law Clerk to the Honorable Stephani Humrickhouse, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Raleigh, N.C.

Education

• University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2020
  • Order of the Barristers
  • Senior Articles Editor, North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology
  • Holderness Moot Court National Team
  • First Place Appellate Advocacy, 1L Moot Court Competition
  • Pro Bono
    • Case Manager, The Innocence Project
    • Volunteer, Voter Protection Hotline
• University of North Carolina at Wilmington, B.A., magna cum laude, 2015
  • President, Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society
  • Wentworth Fellowship
  • Order of Omega Honors Fraternity
  • Academic Chair, Delta Zeta Sorority

Bar & Court Admissions

• American Bar Association
• North Carolina Bar Association
• Wake County Bar Association
• Tenth Judicial District Bar
• International Association of Privacy Professionals
• Trustee/Secretary, Oregon Parks Forever

• Represented plaintiffs in professional malpractice actions, defeating motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment in state, federal, and North Carolina Business Court.
• Represented one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in multiple product liability actions.
• Negotiated favorable settlements in many commercial disputes before cases proceeded to discovery and litigation costs increased.
• Assisted the world’s largest private bank with internal and regulatory investigations following a major Wall Street scandal.
• Advises businesses, from start-ups to public companies, on a wide variety of data privacy and security issues, including compliance with HIPAA, TCPA, FTC Safeguards Rule, and the SEC Cybersecurity Rules.
• Advises clients through pre-litigation contract disputes as well as during every step of the litigation process.