Shayla Wright advises clients on business and complex commercial litigation, sports and entertainment law, and eminent domain and condemnation.
Shayla has helped resolve multimillion-dollar business disputes. She has experience from pre-litigation through trial, including with e-discovery and extensive motions. Specifically, she has litigated and settled cases involving breaches of contracts and employment disputes for a variety of corporate and individual clients in the manufacturing, insurance, financial services, and technology industries, as well as for higher education institutions. She has significant experience in federal and state courts, arbitration, and mediation.
For example, Shayla worked as a part of a team that successfully defended a leading global technology company in arbitration related to a claim of fraudulent inducement of a contract. The arbitrator ultimately awarded less than 1% of the $6 million the claimant sought in damages.
Shayla also advises on NCAA name, image, and likeness (NIL) issues. Her experience litigating commercial contract disputes helps her draft and negotiate contracts with stronger front-end protections. She has provided guidance to multiple schools within the NCAA Division I footprint and their respective student-athletes on NIL contract, liability, and eligibility considerations, as well as compliance with Title IX and the Federal Trade Commission. She is a former senior captain of Georgia Tech's women's basketball team, and she was one of 60 student-athletes recognized as part of Georgia Tech's celebration of 60 years of Black excellence.
In addition, Shayla helps business and property owners navigate eminent domain issues and condemnation procedures across Georgia. Her experience in the courtroom and across the negotiating table helps her zealously advocate for her clients in the condemnation of private property for public projects.
Shayla is a former summer associate in the City of Atlanta's Law Department, where she played a role in projects involving qualified immunity, employment discrimination, premises liability, and city contracts with movie production companies. She is also a former intern for Judge Richard W. Story of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Shayla received her law degree from the University of Georgia, where she was a member of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA). She received her bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech. In addition to serving as captain of the basketball team, she was president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board, a voting member of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association's board of trustees, and one of two Division I student-athletes selected to serve as a representative for the NCAA Women's Basketball Issues Committee.
Shayla is a Jacksonville, Florida, native. Outside of work, she enjoys coaching girls basketball, running on her Peloton Tread, and spending time with her husband and daughter.