Robert Tayloe Ross
Richmond, VA – Of Counsel
For over thirty years, Robert Ross has concentrated his practice on the defense of insurance companies and their insureds. Mr. Ross graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and Mercer University School of Law in Georgia. He began his career as a law clerk to the Chief United States District Court Judge in Atlanta, then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Mr. Ross is a respected member of the Virginia, Georgia, and District of Columbia Bar Associations. He is AV Peer Review Rated (Highest) in Martindale-Hubbell and is recognized as a Virginia Super Lawyer. Mr. Ross was named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s “Leaders in the Law” and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Further, he is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel and a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. Mr. Ross was named the 2024 Claims Legal Professional of the Year by the Virginia State Claims Association in recognition of his service, character, leadership, integrity, and outstanding insurance defense practice.
Mr. Ross is a frequent author and speaker on national, regional and local levels. He is a frequent speaker at PLRB conferences on subjects ranging from “Ongoing Nightmares of Chinese Drywall” to “Commercial Large Loss Arson/Fraud Cases” and more. As a faculty member of the Virginia Law Foundation, Mr. Ross has been an author and speaker on topics such as “Duty of Good Faith” as well as “Taking and Defending Depositions.” Mr. Ross is also active in the civil defense bar, having served as a Director and 2-time “coverage” chair of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys. He is active in the Virginia State and Richmond Claims Associations and serves as the international Judge Advocate Emeritus (General Counsel) of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose International, an insurance charitable organization.
Mr. Ross routinely litigates complex insurance defense cases in the Mid-Atlantic Region, primarily in federal courts. Mr. Ross’ practice includes the defense of first and third party cases, as well as subrogation actions.
When away from the office, Mr. Ross is active at his church. Mr. Ross also enjoys traveling, cooking and outdoor activities.
Areas of Practice
- Property Insurance Defense
- First and Third Party Coverage
- Subrogation
- Construction Defect Litigation
- Federal and State Litigation
- Insurance Defense
- Appellate Practice
- Arson and Fire Cases
- Bad Faith Defense
- Bonds
- Defense Against Fraud
- Environmental Law/Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Georgia, 1982
- District of Columbia, 1983
- Virginia, 1989
- U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia
- Court of Appeals of Virginia
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District of Virginia
Education
- Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law, Macon, Georgia
- J.D. – 1982
- Honors: Member, Mercer University, Moot Court Board
- Honors: Chief Justice, Honor Court
- Hampden-Sydney College
- B.A. – 1979
- Honors: Psychology Honor Society
- Honors: Economics Honor Society
- Honors: French Language Honor Society
- University of Caen, France
- Certificate of Conversation – 1978
Honors and Awards
- Fellow, American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC)
- Member, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
- AV Rated in Martindale-Hubbell
- Martindale-Hubbell Judicial AV Preeminent Rating
- Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law and Insurance Litigation, 2016 – present
- Best Lawyers’ Richmond “Lawyer of the Year” for Insurance Defense, 2022 and 2024
- Virginia State Claims Association, Claims Legal Professional of the Year, 2024
- Virginia Super Lawyers, 2012 – present
- Richmond Times – Dispatch “Virginia Top Lawyers”
- Virginia Lawyers Media Award (Leaders in the Law) 2014
- HOBGI Distinguished Service Award 2015
- U.S. Department of Justice Dedicated Service Award 1986
- Federal Bar Association Dedicated Service Award 1989
- VADA Service Award 2005
- American Inn of Court Distinguished Service Award 2000
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Virginia State Bar, Member
- State Bar of Georgia, Member
- District of Columbia Bar, Member
- District Court of Maryland, Member
- Richmond Bar Association, Member
- Federal Bar Association, Member
- Faculty member, Virginia Law Foundation
- Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court (Georgia), Founding Member, Barrister, 1985 – 1989
- John Marshall Inn of Court (Virginia), Founding Member, Master, President (1999-2000), Executive Committee (1997-2003), 1990 – 2003
- Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Inn of Court (Virginia), Founding Member, Creation Committee, Master, 2003 – Present
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Chair-Policy Coverage Section, 1999 – 2001
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Director, 2002 – 2005
- • Virginia State Claims Association, President, 2021-2022; Member, 1989 – Present
- Richmond Claims Association, Past President; Director (2008 – Present), 1989 – Present
- Loss Executives Association, Associate Member
- Virginia Pond of the International Order of the Blue Goose (MLG 1995-1996), International Judge Advocate (2001-2015), Judge Advocate Emeritus (2015-present); Life member, 2015 – 2017
Published Works
- “Taking and Defending Depositions”, Civil Discovery In Virginia, (Co-Author), Virginia CLE 1999 and supplements to present
- “Duty of Good Faith”, Virginia Insurance Law, (Co-Author), Virginia CLE 2001 and supplements to present, 2001
- “Caveat Vendor: Automobile Dealerships and the Defense of Federal Consumer Protection Litigation Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act” (Co-Author), The Journal of Civil Litigation (Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys), 2002
- “Examinations Under Oath: Who, What, When, Where and Why”, PLRB and LIRB’s Claims Conferences 2000-2004
Classes/Seminars
- Property Appraisal in Virginia”, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys Conference, May 15, 2020
- “Ongoing Nightmares of Chinese Drywall”, PLRB Large Loss Conference, November 4, 2009
- “Examinations Under Oath: Who, What, When, Where and Why”, PLRB Claims Conferences, 2000 – 2004
- Instructor on Property, Subrogation and Liability Insurance Issues, with Particular Emphasis on Defending against Fraudulent Claims, and Authorized Instructor by North Carolina Bureau of Insurance on Property and Liability Insurance
- Frequent Author and Speaker, Insurance & Litigation
Past Employment Positions
- Honorable Charles A. Moye, Jr., then Chief Judge, U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, Judicial Law Clerk, 1982 – 1984
- U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Georgia, Assistant, 1984 – 1986