Taylor English: A Unique Legal Model for Client Success, with Marc Taylor and Michele Stumpe (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 811)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Marc Taylor and Michele Stumpe, partners at Taylor English, as they discuss the rapid growth and client-focused approach of their law firm. Taylor English started with just four lawyers in the mid-2000s and has expanded to around 140 attorneys across multiple states. The conversation highlights the firm’s unique value-driven philosophy, real-time compensation system, and emphasis on personal care for their professionals, flexibility, and entrepreneurial spirit. Marc and Michele explain how these elements attract top legal talent and cater to small and midsized businesses while maintaining strong client relationships. Michele shares her transition from big law and highlights the firm’s community involvement, including support for charities like The Giving Kitchen. The discussion also covers the firm’s commitment to core values amidst growth, fostering a collaborative culture among staff, and staying purpose-driven to provide unique client value.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced by the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Taylor English Duma LLP
Taylor English Duma LLP is a full-service law firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Built from the ground up to provide highest-quality legal services for optimal value, the firm combines the best aspects of a traditional law firm with seasoned attorneys managing their practices throughout the United States.
Together, their attorneys work each day to provide timely, creative, and cost-effective counsel to help clients solve problems and achieve goals. Taylor English represents all types of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to start ups to individuals.
The firm is the Georgia law firm member of GGI Global Alliance AG, the leading worldwide alliance of accounting and law firms.
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Marc Taylor, Partner, Taylor English Duma LLP
Innovative corporate leadership and its positive impact on his clients’ success is Marc Taylor’s passion. Mr. Taylor believes in seizing opportunities for his clients, representing many industry sectors with both astute conscientiousness and considered pragmatism. From organizational policy reviews to multimillion-dollar transactions through to exit strategies, Mr. Taylor has provided corporate counsel to businesses and their executives with an eye on their future.
Along with his colleagues, Mr. Taylor has helped drive the growth of Taylor English from four lawyers to approximately 180 lawyers today, making the firm the fastest-growing law firm in Georgia and one of the fastest-growing firms in the country. In his law practice, he represents management in corporate leadership, litigation and risk mitigation and labor and employment relationships.
When corporate matters lead to litigation, Mr. Taylor has proudly advocated for clients in hundreds of matters. He is comfortable leading the defense of his clients due to his experience as trial counsel in federal and state courts throughout the country.
In representations involving employees, Mr. Taylor handles matters for employers ranging from individual and class action discrimination lawsuits to state law defamation and tort claims. Mr. Taylor has successfully represented employers in federal and state courts, as well as administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and various state agencies in more than 30 states.
Before forming Taylor English Duma LLP, Mr. Taylor practiced law at an Atlanta-based, full service law firm, serving as a partner from 1997-2005 and as in-house employment counsel at Medaphis Corp. (now McKesson Corp.), a company with more than 10,000 employees, from 1995-1997. While serving as in-house employment counsel, he was responsible for investigating and handling all employment-related disputes. In this role, he developed and implemented nationwide employment law training programs and an alternative dispute resolution program that succeeded in reducing Medaphis’ employment-related lawsuits by 75 percent in a two-year period.
Mr. Taylor has been a frequent speaker at seminars that focus on topics involving a full range of law firm and legal department management, corporate strategy and employment relationship issues.
He is married and has three children.
Michele Stumpe, Partner, Taylor English Duma LLP
Michele Stumpe is a seasoned litigator with both plaintiff and defense experience who is a trusted adviser to clients in the hospitality and retail industries. Ms. Stumpe is a certified mediator both in Georgia and East Africa. At Taylor English, she focuses her practice on hospitality and dram shop litigation, alcohol licensing and consulting, premises liability and dispute resolution. Known as one of the top attorneys in the Southeast for alcohol licensing and permits, Ms. Stumpe provides clients with a full range of services, including licensing, training, policy implementation, risk management, and legal representation.
In addition to her hospitality practice, Ms. Stumpe represents individuals and corporations in general litigation matters. She is a strategic partner who helps evaluate clients’ policies, procedures and implementation to minimize litigation risks. Ms. Stumpe is also passionate about early case assessment and resolution. She provides consulting services for various trade associations, including the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), Georgia Food Industry Association (GFIA) and the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores (GACS). In 2002, she developed “The Responsible Alcohol Sales & Service” (RASS) workshops to educate hospitality owners on the legal responsibilities of serving alcohol to consumers. The program was so well received that many Georgia jurisdictions now require attendance as a prerequisite to obtaining an alcohol license.
Business groups frequently ask Ms. Stumpe to speak on early case resolution, negotiation, conflict resolution and alcohol sales compliance issues. She has been a featured speaker at trade associations, legal education and law enforcement seminars, and consumer radio programs. Her exemplary work has been recognized through a host of awards, including the Georgia Restaurant Association Chairman’s Award, Atlanta Magazine’s Women Making a Mark and a special Conservation Award presented by Jane Goodall.
Ms. Stumpe enjoys volunteer work, scuba diving, gardening and golf when not practicing law. She is a co-founder of The Giving Kitchen, an Atlanta non-profit organization that provides crisis medical funds to employees in the hospitality industry. Ms. Stumpe also travels to Africa annually to work with underprivileged children and endangered wildlife through another non-profit that she co-founded, Children of Conservation. The organization provides scholarships to over 400 schoolchildren in Africa.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:46 Meet the Guests: Marc Taylor and Michele Stumpe
02:02 The Story of Taylor English
03:34 Growth and Client Service Philosophy
05:33 Michele’s Journey and Entrepreneurial Spirit
09:12 The Unique Model of Taylor English
15:26 Client Relationships and Firm Culture
16:51 Adapting to New Challenges
18:42 Client Relationships and Problem Solving
19:36 Handling Client Pain Points
21:23 Challenges of Rapid Growth
23:26 Expanding in Other Metro Regions
27:31 Maintaining the Original Vision
32:44 Contact Information and Closing Remarks
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 800 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
