Business Counsel

Experience representing public and private clients in a broad range of business related matters, both as an in house chief legal officer and outside counsel.  A general sample of those experiences include:

• Corporate/ Corporate Governance.  Formation and oversight of business organizations including corporations and limited liability entities; preparation of corporate governing and oversight documents such as articles of incorporation, bylaws, operating agreements, annual minutes. directors' resolutions, shareholder agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and other internal operating documents.

• Employment.  Development, maintenance, and enforcement of employment manuals and workplace rules, including: employee handbooks and affiliated company policies such as:

  • company computer and equipment policies;

  • expense reimbursement policies;

  • on premises firearm policies;

  • confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements;

  • social media policies; and

  • document retention policies.

• Contracts.  Drafting and oversight of vendor agreements, supply contracts, nondisclosure agreements, and other business activity agreements.

• Intellectual Property.  Provide counsel related to protection of intellectual property rights.

• Real Estate.  Counsel regarding online disclosure, privacy, and electronic communication to real estate developers focused upon the commercial and hospitality industries,

• Litigation.  Both direct and supervisory roles in litigation involving contractual disputes, negligence, business torts, and intellectual property protection;

  • Substantial experience in drafting complaints and other pleadings;

  • Motion practice including discovery, summary judgment, sanctions, and post trial activity;

  • discovery practice including interrogatories. document requests, third party subpoenas and responses, requests for admission, party and nonparty depositions, and expert depositions;

  • preliminary injunctions;

  • hearings;

  • jury selection;

  • jury and non jury trials; and

  • appellate briefs.

• Trial experience. Matters alleging negligence; contract disputes; fiduciary duty claims; shareholder and partnership disputes; fraud claims; business torts and trade secret litigation; employment discrimination matters; trademark and copyright infringement matters; multi-state class action litigation.

Public Policy and Regulatory Matters.

Extensive experience with non-traditional matters such as legislative and government agency matters, particularly with local governments and publicly owned utilities’ efforts to build out infrastructure, including technology networks, and to recruit and expand industry in their communities. Some past experiences include:

• Energy and Public Utilities.  Advocating protection of federal legislation before congressional members and committee staff to protect long term purchase contracts (15-30 years) of natural gas to provide a reliable, economical source of energy.  In 2014-15, helped to re-direct administrative agencies, committee staff: and congressional members from ending commodity trading by financial holding companies. In 2014-2015, efforts to impose new rules or pass amendments to banking reform legislation in the US Senate risked the unintended consequence of curbing substantially, or ending, long term natural gas contracts providing access to reliable, discounted gas for public utilities. The successful effort to defeat the administrative and legislative proposals-- ending uncertainty in the market-- led to the closing of the first such transaction in over two years in March 2016. The estimated value of such closing was in excess of $600 million.

• International Business Briefings.  On October 16, 2013, George provided a briefing of the governmental and legal environment for almost 1000 Asian companies looking to "go global" in the United States at the Outbound Investment Summit hosted by China's Chamber of International Commerce ("CCOIC'} Such presentation was similar to others George provided to business and chamber groups in Beijing, Shanghai, Shunde, Guangdong, Dalian, and other locations in China.

• Budgets and Appropriations.  Between 2003 and 2010, George successfully counseled, navigated, and helped to pass federal legislation providing over $50 million in appropriations for municipal government and higher education priorities in areas such as surface transportation, industrial parks, public safety, airports, water towers, capital improvements. environmental reclamation projects, and economic development planning.

• Recruitment of International Industrial Development.  In 2003, George represented the State of Alabama in Seoul, South Korea in recruiting automotive suppliers for Hyundai Motor Company's first in the United States plant in Montgomery, Alabama. .

• Tax Incentives and Industrial Recruitment.  Draft industrial incentives for local and state governments, include tax incentives and tariff offsets based upon new jobs and capital investment in the United States.

• Legislative and Executive Advocacy. Representation before state and federal legislative members and work with executive agencies on regulatory, budgetary, and public policy matters.  

• Public Finance.  Seek and obtain state and federal appropriations for infrastructure, transportation, industrial development, education, and public safety for public entities;

• Education.  Representation of higher education on matters related to budgets, direct appropriations, “plus up” funding, grant programs, and the Higher Education Act.  

• Economic Development.  Recruitment and representation of foreign direct investments for industrial growth in the United States from Germany, Japan, Korea, China, and elsewhere.

International Transactions and Foreign Investment in the US.

Currently represents and has represented business entities with interests around the world, including in:

• Hong Kong

• China

• Korea

• Japan

• Australia

• Germany

• South Africa, and

• the Caribbean   

• International Business Briefings.  On October 16, 2013, George provided a briefing of the governmental and legal environment for almost 1000 Asian companies looking to "go global" in the United States at the Outbound Investment Summit hosted by China's Chamber of International Commerce ("CCOIC'} Such presentation was similar to others George provided to business and chamber groups in Beijing, Shanghai, Shunde, Guangdong, Dalian, and other locations in China.

• Recruitment of International Industrial Development.  In 2003, George represented the State of Alabama in Seoul, South Korea in recruiting automotive suppliers for Hyundai Motor Company's first in the United States plant in Montgomery, Alabama. .

• Tax Incentives and Industrial Recruitment.  Draft industrial incentives for local and state governments, include tax incentives and tariff offsets based upon new jobs and capital investment in the United States.