Biography

Tacita A. Mikel Scott is a Partner in the Firm’s Atlanta and New York offices with decades of trial experience. She is a member of the Litigation, Employment, and Church Law practice groups.

Tacita’s expansive litigation practice focuses on all aspects of business litigation, including claims involving breach of contract, business torts, creditors’ rights, general liability, software implementation disputes, and vendor disputes.

As part of her employment practice, Tacita assists management and executives throughout the United States in all areas of employment law, including such issues as\ (i) Harassment and discrimination claims; (ii) Overtime and other wage and hour claims (including collective actions); (iii) Family and Medical Leave Act claims; (iv) Restrictive covenant and trade secrets claims; (v) Whistleblower claims (vi) ERISA claims (including union withdrawal assessments); and (vii) contract drafting/negotiations. Tacita also routinely advises employers on the avoidance of employee-related problems and finding creative solutions to workplace issues. She often trains, and speaks to, management, lawyers, and human resources professionals on employment issues.

Tacita rounds out her legal practice with a specialty in Church Law where she assists religious institutions and related organizations and leadership to ensure legal compliance.

Tacita has litigated a wide array of cases in federal and state courts, governmental agencies, and arbitration tribunals for companies, municipalities, and government agencies of all sizes and has extensive experience negotiating complex settlements. As both a pragmatic counselor and a skilled advocate, Tacita is well equipped to temper the urge to litigate with the need to negotiate, which enables her to support the process that best fits her clients’ goals.

Further still, Tacita is registered Neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, specializing in mediation and arbitration.  She received her mediation and arbitration training from Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service.

Tacita began her legal career at a law firm in the Wall Street District of New York City, before moving her legal practice to Morris, Manning, and Martin, LLP in Atlanta, where she was ultimately elected Partner. When she became Partner at Morris Manning, she was the first minority female and the first African American to be elected into partnership at the firm.

Representative Matters

Business litigation representative matters include:

  • Successfully represented and defended municipality in terminating $100 million vendor contract
  • Represented self-insured employer in dispute with insurance company over payment of third-party claims; obtained highly favorable settlement of entire claim amount plus attorneys’ fees
  • Defended Fortune 50 company in multi-million-dollar dispute with customer; obtained highly favorable settlement that included a new contract with customer of greater value through creative negotiations

Employment law/litigation representative matters include:

  • Jury verdict in employment-related trade secrets case
  • Defended a high-profile College in False Claims Act case against former employee; obtained Summary Judgment, which was affirmed on appeal to 11th Circuit
  • Defended high-profile educational institution in race discrimination, FLSA, and breach of contract action; obtained highly favorable settlement with payment of de minimis amount through assertive and comprehensive discovery strategy
  • Defended corporation in wage and hour collective action; obtained highly favorable settlement with payment of de minimis amount through assertive and comprehensive discovery strategy
  • Defended a corporation and individual in restrictive covenants litigation (customer non-solicitation, employee non-solicitation); obtained highly favorable settlement with payment of de minimis amount through assertive discovery and creative negotiations
  • Obtained voluntary dismissal of race claim through assertive discovery strategy and savvy motion practices
  • Sexual harassment training of over 2500 employees for single employer
  • Human resources outpost to proactively avoid disputes, conduct audits, and resolve lawsuits

Software implementation representative matters include:

  • Successfully defended software implementation dispute, wherein client paid zero in damages and Plaintiff paid client damages on client’s Counterclaim
  • Successfully defended software implementation dispute wherein Plaintiff dismissed with zero damages
  • Successfully defended and resolved numerous software implementation disputes, wherein the Plaintiff(s) in each case received less than ten percent of claimed damages

Restrictive covenants/trade secrets representative matters include:

  • Obtained dismissal of trade secret suit brought by competitor between granting of TRO and preliminary injunction hearing through aggressive accelerated discovery and persuasive motion practice
  • Routinely prosecute and defend restrictive covenant disputes, including obtaining TROs and defending against TRO motions, as the case may be

Church law representative matters include:

  • Successfully defends church attempted takeovers by terminated Pastors and/or disgruntled Members
  • Successfully prosecutes and defends churches in construction disputes
  • Negotiate tax matters
  • Board of Directors and leadership training
  • Drafting Official Manuals, Constitutions, and other governing documents
  • Corporate compliance
  • Assist Ecclesiastical Organizations with managing their Local Churches
  • Counseling
Presentations & Teaching Experience:
  • Regional Institutions Repositioning for Excellence and Compliance (Solutions TV, Atlanta)
  • Regional Institutions Repositioning for Transformation (Solutions TV, Atlanta)
  • Importance of Education (Young Women Leadership Program Kick-Off Symposium, Atlanta)
  • Leadership Lessons for Women of Color (Georgia Diversity Council Women in Leadership Symposium, Atlanta)
  • What is a Personal Brand and Why Is It Important to Have? (Fortune 25 Financial Institution’s Women Leadership Group, and, separately, Georgia Diversity Council Women in Leadership Symposium, Atlanta)
  • Overcoming Workforce Barriers (Georgia Diversity Council’s Multicultural Roundtable, Atlanta)
  • Employment Law Considerations (National Bar Association’s Religion Law Conference, Atlanta)
  • Networking Strategies (National Diversity Council’s Women in Leadership Symposium, Atlanta)
  • Employment Law Considerations, Tax Law Considerations, Corporate Formation Considerations, Constitutional Law Considerations, and Employment Law Considerations (Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association’s Ministers and Leaders Conference, Atlanta)
  • FLSA Basics (National Bar Association’s Employment Law Conference, Atlanta)
  • Avoiding and/or Resolving Potential FLSA Collective Actions (National Bar Association’s Employment Law Conference, Atlanta)
  • Perspectives on Post-Certification Discovery in FLSA Actions (National Bar Association’s Employment Law Conference, Atlanta)
  • Employment Law Overview (Atlanta)
  • Establishing Credibility in the Workplace (National Diversity Council Women in Leadership Symposium, Atlanta)
  • Marketing Strategies for All Levels (National Bar Association Annual Convention, San Diego)
  • Representing Religious Institutions: A Snapshot of Legal Considerations (Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia Annual Nonprofit Law Seminar, Atlanta)
  • Real and Perceived Barriers to Leadership (National Diversity Council Women in Leadership Symposium, Atlanta)
  • Leased Employees and Other Contingent Workers: Panacea or Pandora’s Box? (National Employment Law Council Annual Conference, Atlanta)
  • Labor & Employment Law Update: Wage and Hour Overview (National Bar Association’s Annual Convention, Atlanta)
  • The OFCCP’s Internet Applicant Rule: An Administrative Nightmare or Sweet Dream? (National Bar Association Commercial Law Section’s Annual Corporate Counsel Conference, Birmingham, AL)
  • A Primer on the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, as Amended (National Bar Association Commercial Law Section’s Annual Corporate Counsel Conference, Birmingham, AL)
  • FLSA Compliance Audits (Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s Annual CLE Expo, Chicago)
  • Minimum Wage Requirements: Wage and Hour Law Update in Georgia (Lorman Education Services, Atlanta)
  • Overtime Requirements: Wage and Hour Law Update in Georgia (Lorman Education Services, Atlanta)
  • Hours Worked Under FLSA: Wage and Hour Law Update in Georgia (Lorman Education Services, Atlanta)
  • Employers Should Be Prepared for Emergencies, Including Terrorist Attacks (Atlanta)
  • Basic Principles of Employment Law/Discrimination Issues (Selected Topics in Structuring and Operating a Business in Georgia, Atlanta)
Publications
  • Tax Law Considerations, Legal Eagle Column in Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association (“CDMA”) Magazine, THE MAX, multi-part bi-monthly series from February 2012 through October 2012
  • Best Practices for Managing Tort Liability Risks, Legal Eagle Column in CDMA Magazine, THE MAX, multi-part bi-monthly series from April 2011 through December 2011
  • Leased Employees and Other Contingent Workers: Panacea or Pandora’s Box? The John Liner Review 22, No. 4 (Winter 2009): 62
  • Supporting Our Troops in the Workplace: An Introduction to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, The John Liner Review 20, No. 2 (Summer 2006): 23
  • Till Termination Do Us Part: A Primer on Effectively Managing Today’s Workforce, The John Liner Review 17, No. 2 (Summer 2003):43 Court of Appeal
Awards and Recognitions
  • Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2007
  • Thomson Reuters’ Stand-Out Lawyer
  • National Diversity Council’s Most Influential Women in Georgia
  • Atlanta’s Magazine’s 25 Power Women to Watch
  • Georgia Super Lawyer
  • Who’s Who in Black Atlanta
  • The Black Gents of Hollywood’s Excellence Award
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Community Champion Award
  • Board of Directors (Emeritus Council), Goodwill Industries of North Georgia; Former Member, Strategic Planning Committee; Former Chair, Legal Committee; Former Member, Executive Committee and Strategic Planning Committee
  • Board of Trustees, The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • Board of Directors, The Georgia Diversity Council; Chairperson of Board
  • Adjunct Professor, Kingdom Business University
  • Board of Advisors, Destiny University
  • Board of Governors, American Institute for Managing Diversity (25th Anniversary Committee)

vCard

Tacita A. Mikel Scott

Partner

[email protected]
+1.404.719.5077

Credentials

Admissions

  • Georgia
  • New York

Education

Vanderbilt University School of Law, Juris Doctor

Spelman College, B.A. in English

Prior Law Firm Experience

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP n/k/a Taft/Morris Manning (Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP)

Practice Areas