Gerald F. George, a lawyer known nationally for handling major environmental litigation throughout the U.S., has joined the environmental group at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as a partner in the firm’s San Francisco office.
Mr. George comes to DWT from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where he has practiced since 2005. Prior to that, Mr. George was a partner at Campbell, George & Strong, LLP, and a Senior Lawyer in the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he managed the Section’s San Francisco field office from 1989-1995, served as lead counsel on several major environmental enforcement actions (including the seminal CERCLA natural resource damage case, U.S. v. Montrose Chemical), and advised federal agencies on environmental matters.
“We are very pleased to welcome Jerry to the team,” said Craig Gannett, co-chair of DWT’s environmental practice. “He has developed a considerable reputation for helping a wide diversity of clients address complex regulatory challenges. His knowledge and judgment will significantly aid our clients in achieving their goals.”
Mr. George is well known for his experience litigating complex environmental cases under CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) and the Clean Water Act including cases with significant claims for natural resource damages (“NRD”). He has represented international mining companies with respect to resolution of response cost and NRD claims at multiple facilities, including a recent settlement of federal and state response cost claims at a mine in South Dakota. He resolved CERCLA response cost and NRD claims by federal, state and tribal governments against a major utility. He has also obtained a favorable settlement of NRD claims against a large California county government concerning abandoned mining operations in a county park.
Mr. George is also an experienced mediator, having conducted over 100 mediations since entering private practice in 1995. He received his B.A. and J.D. at Indiana University. In addition to California, he is admitted to the bar in Washington, D.C., and Indiana.
