After graduating from law school, Ted returned to his hometown of Prattville, Ala., where he joined the general practice law firm of Howell, Sarto & Howell. In 1995, Ted moved his growing personal injury practice to Birmingham, Ala., where he became a partner in the plaintiffs' litigation firm of Davenport, Lavette & Meadows, P.C. In 2001, Ted accepted an “of counsel” position at Beasley Allen. While he has spent his entire career helping the injured and defrauded, Ted now focuses on representing personal injury victims throughout the country in claims against pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical device companies.
Ted became a principal at Beasley Allen in 2002. Since that time, he has been a leader at Beasley Allen with verdicts and settlements totaling more than $400 million, including a $72.6 million compensatory verdict in a hormone replacement therapy trial and a $72 million verdict in a talc/ovarian cancer trial. The hormone replacement therapy verdict was selected by the National Law Journal as No. 30 on its list of Top 100 Verdicts of 2011. Ted received the 2009 award for Beasley Allen Mass Torts Lawyer of the year, and the 2012 award for Beasley Allen Litigator of the Year. He is listed in the 2014 and 2015 Super Lawyers Magazines.
Ted is a frequent speaker on mass tort issues. He has been a guest speaker at National Lawyer Conventions held in Montgomery, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Miami, Key West, Aspen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Las Vegas, San Diego and Puerto Rico, and at an American Bar Association Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Continuing Education event. Ted received the Alabama State Bar Continuing Legal Education Award in recognition of efforts to continue and enhance professional competence. He has been recognized as an “advocate” by the National College of Advocacy. Ted has spoken at the Mississippi Judicial College on the subject of Electronic Discovery. He has spoken regarding Hormone Therapy (Prempro) litigation in a conference sponsored by the American Association for Justice. Ted has been interviewed by Legal Talk Network regarding the latest in the Vioxx (2006) and Hormone Therapy (2012) litigations. He is mentioned in the 2007 through 2010 editions of The Legal 500 – A book carrying independent editorial commentary on the leading law firms in the United States. Ted has been quoted in publications such as The American Lawyer and FairWarning.org.
Ted is currently leading the charge in cases where talcum powder caused ovarian cancer. He helped lead the trial team that secured a $72 million jury verdict against Johnson & Johnson on Feb. 22, 2016. A jury in City of St. Louis Circuit Court found Johnson & Johnson liable for injuries resulting from the use of its talc-containing products such as Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder for feminine hygiene. The jury awarded the family of Plaintiff Jacqueline Fox $72 million after agreeing the products contributed to the development of her ovarian cancer. The verdict includes $10 million in actual damages and $62 million in punitive damages. The jury found Johnson & Johnson guilty of negligence, conspiracy and fraud. Ms. Fox passed away in Oct. 2015 at age 62.
Ted was the principal Beasley Allen attorney who handled the Lotronex, Meridia, Guidant Ancure Stent, Sulzer, Smith & Nephew Knee Replacement litigations, and Hormone Therapy (Prempro) litigations. He was selected to serve on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Prempro Multi District Litigation.
Ted is married to the former Carla Musgrove of Eufaula, Alabama. They have two children, Nathan and Amanda. He and his family are members of Saint James United Methodist Church, where he is actively involved in the Music and Youth Ministries and has served on the Board of Trustees and as a lay helper in Haiti during the months following the 2010 earthquake. Ted is an avid triathlete, having competed in numerous endurance events including Ironman Florida, Escape from Alcatraz, and Ironman Augusta 70.3 (where he has twice qualified for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships). In 2015, he received the Ironman All-World Athlete Bronze Award for being in the top 10% of his age group in the world. Ted enjoys following his children in their athletic pursuits including dance, swimming, running and triathlon.
