Sam represents clients in significant litigation, MDLs and class actions involving products liability, food safety, transportation, toxic torts, health care and commercial matters. Sam has tried cases throughout the United States in state and federal court and in arbitration proceedings. In complex pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, Sam has served as national, regional and local counsel in defending manufacturers in coordinated mass tort proceedings.

Recently, Sam has assisted clients in the food and manufacturing industries with issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including insurance coverage, compliance with state and local "stay in place" orders, and advising clients how various regulations will be interpreted and enforced during the pandemic.

In the area of commercial litigation, Sam represents clients in matters involving insurance coverage, data breach response, wills and trusts, real estate, breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, defamation and intellectual property. A trained mediator, Sam is well-versed in all forms of alternative dispute resolution and is a AAA Arbitrator. Sam is also a Certified Information and Privacy Specialist (CIPP/US), advising clients in various aspects of data security and privacy.

Representative Matters

Represented a manufacturer in nationwide FDA recall of food products due to alleged contamination, including related insurance coverage issues.
Successfully served as lead defense counsel in a national class action suit involving allegedly defective roofing materials.
Advised a health care client regarding response to alleged data breaches and compromise of patient information.
Assisted a major nationwide food chain with response to data breach involving customer's credit card information.
Defended a major manufacturer of pelvic mesh devices in multiple suits in federal court, and also served on the client's national expert witness team.
Successfully defended a transportation company in serious collision cases in Florida involving wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, and serious orthopedic injuries.
Secured a large arbitration award for a client in a suit against its former CFO, who was accused of embezzling company funds, breaching fiduciary duties, and failing to repay amounts owed to the company.
Successfully defended a Florida wrongful death case involving alleged exposure to asbestos in various construction products.
Represented a food company in recall of allegedly contaminated meat products, including dealings with USDA and the client's insurance company for recovery of the loss.
Led a team of more than 50 attorneys and legal professionals in defending a pharmaceutical company in diet drug litigation in Tennessee, consisting of more than 2,500 federal court cases throughout the state. Also served on the client’s national expert witness team deposing medical causation experts throughout the country.
Defended a Japanese insurance company in a significant insurance coverage dispute involving the cost of defending hundreds of suits filed over alleged defective products.
Represented clients in FDA food contamination recalls involving peanut butter products and ingredients.
Defended a smoke alarm manufacturer in a wrongful death case, and coordinated the national defense of similar products.
Defended a leading manufacturer of orthopedic knee and hip devices in multiple suits alleging product defect and failure.

Professional Honors & Activities

AV^® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Listed in Best Lawyers in America^® in areas of Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Bet-the-Company Litigation
Named the Best Lawyers' 2020 Nashville Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants "Lawyer of the Year"
Named the Best Lawyers' 2019 and 2016 Nashville Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants "Lawyer of the Year"
Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2006, Personal Injury Defense, Products
Named to Lawdragon Leading 3000 Lawyers in America
Listed as a 2017 Benchmark Litigation "Local Litigation Star"
Trained Civil Mediator under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31
Member − Nashville Bar Association, Federal Courts Committee
Member – Tennessee Bar Association; former chair of Litigation Section
Member – Broward County Bar Association
Co-Chair − American Bar Association, ABA Products Liability Committee
Member − Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel; Drug, Device and Biotechnology and Product Liability Sections
President − Tennessee Stonewall Bar Association
Member − Metropolitan Nashville Board of Health
- Past Chair (2014 − 2017)
Member − American Health Law Association
Member − DRI
Recipient − Human Rights Campaign's Community Leadership Award (2008)
Certified Information and Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)

Publications

"Chipotle's Record $25 Million Fine Sends Tough Message as the Restaurant Industry Begins Reopening," republished May 6, 2020 in General Counsel News (April 30, 2020)
"Businesses Face Coming Tidal Wave of COVID-19 Litigation," Daily Business Review (April 30, 2020)
"Food Processors Face Uncertain Future Due to COVID-19," Processing Magazine (April 22, 2020)
"Tidal Wave of COVID-19 Lawsuits on the Way" (April 21, 2020)
"Food Producers and Manufacturers Face Uncertain Future as COVID-19 Pandemic Drags On" (April 3, 2020)
"Defense Production Act is Invoked by President Trump" (March 19, 2020)
"USDA Unveils New Federal Hemp Production Rules Amid Concerns from the Industry," Nutrition Industry Executive (March 2020)
"Ideas to Spark Joy in Your Office," Women's Initiative Newsletter (December 2019)
"USDA Unveils New Federal Hemp Production Rules" (October 2019)
"FDA Issues Cybersecurity Alert to Health Care Providers and Device Manufacturers " (October 2019)
"Fla. Approves Plan for Hemp Production Despite FDA Constraints on CBD," Law.com (September 2019)
"Florida Approves Plan for Hemp Production, Despite FDA Constraints on CBD" (August 2019)
"How to ENGAGE the Jury During Voir Dire," ABA Products Liability Litigation Section Newsletter (August 2018)
"Cyber-Threats: Five Tips for Data Protection We Learned in 2017" (December 2017)
"Ready, Set, Go: Preparing and Testing for Data Security Events," Cyber-Threats: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Business Now (October 2017)
"Disgruntled Employees and Other Internal Threats to Your Cybersecurity" (June 2017)
"Vendor Relations – Your Best Friends Really Can Hurt You" (May 2017)
"Baker Donelson Demonstrates Commitment to LGBT Equality with Repeat of Perfect Score on HRC Equality Index," Diversity Matters (April 2017)
"The Internet of Things: 'The Next Big Thing' for Products Litigation," American Bar Association's Section of Litigation publication Litigation News (January 2017)
"Ransomware – A Significant Cybersecurity Concern" (December 2016)
"The October DDoS Attack – Separating Fact from Fiction" (November 2016)
"Prepare for the Hack: Five Things to Keep in Mind when Shopping for Cybersecurity Insurance" (October 2016)
"Ransomware Attack is a Breach – Unless You Can Prove Otherwise" (July 2016)
"Best Practices for Responding to the Threat of Ransomware" (June 2016)
Co-author – "Ransomware Attack on Hospital Highlights the Importance of Preparation for All Organizations," Bloomberg BNA (April 2015)
"Ransomware Attack Highlights Importance of Preparation" (February 2016)
"Lessons Learned from LabMD's Successful Challenge to the FTC's Cyber Authority and Wyndham's Monumental Settlement with the FTC" (January 2016)
"Arrest of Pharma Executive on Federal Kickback Charges Sends Strong Message About DOJ's Initiative on Personal Accountability" (November 2015)
"ABA Resolution 105 on Punitive Damages Is Dead for Now" (July 2015)
"Reflections on Weeks - The End of a Winning Streak for Brand-Name Manufacturers or Just a Blip on the State-Law Tort Screen?," ABA Section of Litigation, Products Liability Website Newsletter (April 2013)
"50 State Survey on Statutes of Limitations," Tennessee Chapter, ABA Products Liability Committee (2012)
"Top Ten Things: Attorney Client Privilege for In-House Counsel," Association of Corporate Counsel website (July 2011)
"50 Statute Survey on Plaintiff's Medical Care and Treatment - Discovery and Evidentiary Issues," Tennessee Chapter, ABA Products Liability Committee (2011)

Speaking Engagements

"Drone On! Emerging Legal Issues for Commercial Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Will You and Your Clients Be Ready for the Invasion of American Airspace?," ABA Environmental, Mass Torts & Products Liability Joint CLE (Winter 2016)
Panelist – "Cyber Security Risks and Apportioning of Liability: What You Need to Know in 2016 and Beyond," webcast, The Knowledge Group (August 2016)
Panelist – "Send Me in Coach? the Business Case for Diversity in the Legal Profession," ABA Corporate Counsel CLE (Winter 2015)
"Practical Implications of the Recent Federal Rules Amendments - from Bench and Bar Perspectives," Tennessee Bar Association (December 2015)
Moderator – "When Good Lawyers Go Bad-Consequences of Rambo Litigation Tactics In Depositions and At Trial," ABA Section of Litigation Annual Conference (April 2015)
"Leading Through Public Service," Nashville Bar Association, Young Leader's Class (2015)
"The Costs of Leadership," Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Conference (Winter 2014)
"Products Liability Year in Review," ABA Joint CLE Conference, Products Liability Committee (Winter 2014)
Panelist – "Ebola and the Public Health System: Risk Management and Legal Duties in Fighting a Deadly Infectious Disease," ABA Health Law Committee Roundtable (October 2014)
Participant – "Criminal Prosecution of Food Companies," ABA Products Liability Committee, Food & Supplements Subcommittee Roundtable (December 2013)
"Does the Fall of DOMA Change the Lyrics to 'Love and Marriage Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage'?," Lawyers' Association for Women Monthly Meeting (September 2013)
"Effective Time Management and Stress Management," LCLD Mentoring Group, Vanderbilt Law School (October 2012)
"International Issues that Arise in Litigation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Cases," ABA Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Regional CLE Workshop (November 2011)

Press Releases

77 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 45 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 6, 2019)
Samuel L. Felker Named Managing Shareholder of Baker Donelson's Fort Lauderdale Law Office (May 16, 2019)
86 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2018 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 43 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 8, 2018)
94 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2017 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 53 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 7, 2017)
Baker Donelson Recognized in 2017 Edition of Benchmark Litigation (November 30, 2016)
98 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 57 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 14, 2016)
Baker Donelson Recognized in 2016 Edition of Benchmark Litigation (December 3, 2015)
78 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2015 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 43 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 12, 2015)

In the News

Sam Felker Talks with Nashville Medical News About Responding to Ransomware Attacks (June 6, 2017)
Sam Felker Talks Cyber Insurance with Mississippi Business Journal (November 17, 2016)

Practices

Industries

Education

University of Virginia, J.D., 1980
University of Tennessee School of Law, 1978
- Torchbearer Award for Academic Excellence
Mississippi State University, B.S., 1977