Team

  • Jason E. Taylor

    About me:

    Mr. Taylor grew up hunting, fishing and riding horses & motorcyles on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Jason traveled to Avon, Connecticut to attend high school at Avon Old Farms School. At Avon, an all boys boarding school, Jason enjoyed playing lacrosse and football while still actively hunting and fishing.

    Following Avon Old Farm School, Jason traveled to upstate New York and attended Hobart College in Geneva, NY. Getting more serious about his studies and wanting to get out of the northern cold, Jason completed the four year curriculum in three years and made his way to American University’s Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., and graduated with honors. Jason began his law career in 1993 in Charlotte, NC and started a new firm in the spring of 1996.

    In April, 2005, Jason left the firm he co-founded and started the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor with offices in Charlotte and Hickory. Jason has argued a wide variety of cases in North Carolina courts including but not limited to: Wrongful death, medical malpractice, motor vehicle negligence, premises liability, breach of contract and criminal cases. Jason has argued cases in counties all over North Carolina and has given oral arguments to both the North Carolina Industrial Commission as well as the North Carolina Supreme Court.

    Jason has narrowed his practice to civil cases resulting in serious injuries and death caused by: Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect, Worker’s Compensation, Auto & Trucking cases and Motorcycle Collisions. Professional Memberships include: Mecklenburg Trial Lawyers Association (past president), American Association of Justice, North Carolina Advocates For Justice, North Carolina Bar Association, Southern Trial Lawyers Association as well as Catawba and Mecklenburg Bar Association. Jason has also enjoyed teaching Continuing Legal Education and being a coach and judge in Wade Edwards’s mock trial competitions for high school students.

    *Jason is admitted to the Middle and Western Federal Districts as well as the courts of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Jason is certified in the NHTSA Standardized Field sobriety testing, he is a certified Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT) with the Alco-Sensor IV, Alco Sensor FST, the Intoxilyzer Model S-D2, the Intoxilyzer Model SC-5, the Intoxilyzer Model 400. Non professional memberships include Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, National Rifle Association, American Motorcyclist Association, Harley Owners Group (Charlotte, Hickory), Concerned Biker Association of Gaston County and Motorcyle Riders Foundation.

    Personal Data:

    Jason is married to Andie Taylor and has two fabulous step-children, Jack and Katie. The Taylor family lives on a farm with their four dogs. Jason enjoys time with the family cooking, reading hunting, fishing and riding his Harley.

  • Rose G. Proto

    About me:

    Rose G. Proto is an attorney with the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, P.C.

    Ms. Proto received her B.A. in political science in 2006 from St. Bonaventure University in New York, where she graduated cum laude as an Honors Program student. At St. Bonaventure, Ms. Proto was inducted into the national political science honorary, Pi Sigma Alpha, and participated as a member of the Division I Women’s Cross Country team. She completed law school in 2010 at the Charlotte School of Law, where she was an academic research assistant and “CALI: Excellence for the Future Award” recipient. In addition, Ms. Proto was honored with the “Outstanding Appellate Argument Award” during her first year.

    Ms. Proto is admitted to practice in the state courts of North Carolina and New York, as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. She holds memberships in the North Carolina State Bar and Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Mecklenburg County Bar, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, and the American Association for Justice.

    Publications:

    - “The Honorable Eric L. Levinson,” Mecklenburg Bar News, Vol. 37, No. 11, (May 2011).
    - “North Carolina Medical Malpractice Reform Bill: A Lethal Dose for Constituents,” American Association for Justice: Women Trial Lawyers Caucus Newsletter, (Spring 2011).

    Personal Data:

    Ms. Proto enjoys traveling, cooking and volunteering in her community, and is an avid tennis player, mountain biker, and alpine skier.

     

  • Rick Rutledge

    About me:

    I was born and raised in Michigan, in a large family of modest means.  I grew up on a “dirt farm” (we farmed for our own purposes, not a commercial farm), so I’m no stranger to hard work and pragmatism.  I attended school in Michigan, and worked in technology, including a brief stint in the auto industry.

    Most of my work experience has been with small, closely-held or family businesses.  I spent more than a decade providing technology and business consulting, and prior to attending law school, I was manager of a small consulting firm in California.  I have a great deal of experience in doing needs assessment; because of this, I am a very good listener and a problem solver by nature.

    Prior to moving to Winston-Salem, I lived in San Francisco for nearly 15 years.  While I moved to Winston-Salem for school, and because of family connections in the area, I love it here and decided to stay.  I live in a wonderful neighborhood – there are many wonderful neighborhoods in Winston-Salem, I’m told – and I have a number of friends in the area.  I have extended family throughout the surrounding counties.

     

    Personal Data:

     

    When I’m not working hard for clients, I am an avid do-it-yourselfer; when I lived in San Francisco, I spent nine years restoring a 100-year-old Victorian home.  I also enjoy gardening, cooking, SCUBA diving, and riding motorcycles.  I also enjoy sharing “walkies” with my two crazy bull terriers.  I love language and languages; in addition to English, I speak fluent French.  I have studied German, and I can speak a little, but I’m not fluent.  I have also studied Russian, Latin, and Old French.  I plan to start learning Spanish soon, and I would eventually like to learn Chinese.

  • Gary Swinkey-Investigator

    About me:

    Gary Swinkey is licensed by the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board. He is a member of the North Carolina Association of Private Investigators.  Mr. Swinkey is a retired Supervisory Special Agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    He served at FBI Headquarters as the FBI Department of Defense (DoD) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) International Counter-Proliferation Program Manager. His FBI experience includes Assistant WMD Coordinator, Special Event Planning, Evidence Response Team, 15 years Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), investigating Narcotics matters, Violent Crime, White Collar Crime, and Counter-Terrorism.

    Gary’s investigative network enables him to access and use investigators and their resources throughout the United States and abroad.

    Personal Data:

  • Paula Floyd-Claims Manager

    About me:

    Personal Injury

    Personal Data:

    Paula is married with 2 children. Enjoys spending time with family and friends, vacationing , reading and exercising

     

  • Shannon-Marketing Director/Case File Coordinator

    About me:

    Marketing and Communications Manager.

    Personal Data:

    Shannon has one son.  She enjoys reading, computers and spending time with her family.

  • Eileen Desimone-Case Manager

    About me:

    Personal Injury and Property Damage.

    Personal Data:

    Eileen enjoys spending time with her daughter & son, reading, gardening, vacationing and walking

  • Tracey P. Teno-Case Manager

    About me:

    Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, and Medical Malpractice on behalf of the Plaintiff.

    Personal Data:

    Tracey is married with three children.  She enjoys spending time with her family, reading and dancing.

     

  • Tracy Roberts-Case Manager

    About me:

    Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Disability.

     

    Personal Data:

    She enjoys golf and spending time with her family.

  • Laura Gibbins-Finance Manager

    About me:

    Customer Service, Bookkeeping, and Team Management

    Personal Data:

    Laura is married and enjoys traveling, reading and gardening in her spare time.

  • Katie Payne – Administrative Coordinator

    About me:

    Personal Data:

    Katie enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.