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M. Davis Ready represents businesses in a variety of litigation, business, and employment matters. His clients include several Fortune 500 companies; large self-insureds; and excess insurers for retail, transportation, product liability and other claims. He also serves as regional counsel for several large companies for matters throughout Louisiana and neighboring jurisdictions.

Davis’s practice involves the defense and tendering of contractual defense and indemnification. He provides rapid response assistance for catastrophic losses, understanding that clients and claim departments manage operations and claims 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Clients also routinely retain and consult with Davis on larger cases and catastrophic losses prior to the commencement of litigation. He has tried numerous cases before juries, judges and arbitrators throughout Louisiana and obtained favorable verdicts in a variety of transportation, product liability, retail, franchise and business matters.

In addition to litigating product liability and tort claims, Davis also handles employment matters ranging from wage and hour disputes to Title VII and ADA compliance. He has also drafted and revised employment policies and handbooks for various companies and litigated employment matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state and federal courts throughout Louisiana.

Davis has also written numerous coverage opinions for insurers on issues and policies ranging from coverage under an occurrence-based general liability policy to coverage under a claims-made employment practice policy.

Prior to joining Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn in 2000, Davis served as a law clerk to the Honorable Walter J. Rothschild in the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District for the Parish of Jefferson. Davis conducts client seminars and presents at industry events annually, and he has spoken at events for the American Bar Association, Transportation Law Association and DRI – Lawyers Representing Business.

Representative Matters

  • Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed summary judgment granted to a trucking client in Smith v. Great American Insurance Co. et al, 20-377 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/26/21), — So.3d –, finding that there was no question of fact the truck driver was not negligent and the accident was solely caused by a tornado, as an act of God.
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld summary judgment in Thibodeaux v. Home Depot, 816 Fed.Appx. 988 (5th Cir. June 26, 2020), finding that a yellow parking stop over which a patron tripped was an open and obvious condition for which no duty existed.

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

Education

  • J.D., Louisiana State University, 1996
  • B.A., University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1993

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • DRI – Lawyers Representing Business
  • National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association
  • Transportation Lawyers Association

Speaking Engagements

  • ABA Mega Trucking Conference
  • DRI Retail
  • Transportation Lawyers Association

Professional Recognition

  • Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Community Involvement

  • Coach, Pontiff Playground

News

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