David O. Taylor

David O. Taylor is a Professor of Law at the SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. He also founded and serves as a Co-Director of the school’s Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation.

Professor Taylor earned his bachelor of science, magna cum laude, in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and his juris doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Prior to law school, Professor Taylor worked as an applications engineer at National Instruments Corporation in Austin, Texas. While in law school, he served as an extern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, as a member of both the Harvard Journal of Law & Technology and the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, and as President of the Harvard Law School Texas Club.

After graduating from law school, Professor Taylor clerked for the Honorable Sharon Prost of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Professor Taylor also worked for seven years at the law firm of Baker Botts LLP in its Dallas office. While at Baker Botts, Professor Taylor engaged in patent litigation in various district courts and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His litigation experience includes both bench and jury trials. A registered patent attorney, he also gained significant experience in the fields of intellectual property licensing and patent prosecution. During his time in practice he assisted with several advanced patent law courses at SMU Dedman School of Law, including Patent Litigation, Intellectual Property Licensing, and Patent Prosecution, and successfully represented clients in pro bono matters, including before the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals.

At SMU, Professor Taylor regularly teaches in the areas of contracts and patent law. His scholarship focuses on patent law, patent policy, patent litigation, and civil procedure. Professor Taylor has published articles in various journals, including the Connecticut Law Review, Georgia Law Review, New York University Law Review, and in an assortment of intellectual property specialty journals. He has also contributed to two books. His publications have been cited by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and various district courts.

A frequent speaker, he has made academic presentations at law schools across the United States, including Boston College, California Berkeley, Cardozo, Chicago-Kent, DePaul, Houston, Kansas, San Diego, Stanford, and Texas, and internationally in Chongqing, China; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Taipei, Taiwan. He also is a regular speaker at various continuing legal education (CLE) events, including events sponsored by the Dallas Bar Association, the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association, the Center for American and International Law, and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.

In addition to these activities, Professor Taylor has organized numerous symposia and conferences, helped launch SMU’s Patent and Trademark Clinics, and helped draft the proposal to secure the funding to launch the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation. He serves on several law school committees and has served as an advisor to both the SMU Science and Technology Law Review and The International Lawyer. Professor Taylor also serves as an advisor to the law school's chapter of the Federalist Society, which regularly hosts speakers addressing hot topics in the field of constitutional law. He has also taught a class focused on the First Amendment’s religion clauses. SMU granted Professor Taylor tenure in 2016.

Professor Taylor serves in various leadership positions. He has served as a member of the Advisory Council for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and on the Executive Board of the Institute for Law and Technology at the Center for American and International Law. He has served on various committees and task forces of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), including its Amicus Committee, Legislation Committee, Patentable Subject Matter Task Force, and Administrative Procedures Task Force. He has served as the Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association (DBA), and as the Chair of the Computer Law Section of the DBA.

Professor Taylor regularly serves as an expert and consultant in intellectual property disputes both within and outside the United States. Most recently, he has been appointed as a Special Master to assist with patent infringement disputes pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

He has received several accolades. Professor Taylor is the recipient of a Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship from the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. He has also been named a founding Barrister of the Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, an Honorary Barrister of the SMU Dedman School of Law Board of Advocates, and an Outstanding Graduate of the Irving Independent School District. In addition to these awards, he has received numerous research and course development grants.

Outside of his work at the law school and the field of intellectual property law, Professor Taylor has engaged in public service with diverse groups including Advocates for Community Transformation, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Cho-Yeh Camp and Conference Center.

Professor Taylor is married. Together with his wife Rachel, he enjoys spending time with his three children: Caroline, Emily, and Joshua.