George’s practice focuses on appellate litigation, in state and federal courts. He also represents clients at trial in general civil litigation and in water use permitting and litigation in state and federal administrative agencies and courts. He has represented clients on appeal in a wide variety of cases, with issues ranging from state and federal constitutional law to church property law, NEPA and the Clean Water Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act; and from maritime salvage to criminal defense. He is a frequent lecturer in continuing legal and other professional education programs in appellate litigation.

Honors and Other Distinctions
Member of the Faculty, Virginia State Bar Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course, 2009-2012.

Achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards.

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in Appellate Law (2010-2012).

Named to Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite in Legislative/Regulatory/Administrative law (2007, 2009-2010).

Named as a Virginia Super Lawyer in Environmental Litigation Law (2007).

Representative Experience
Appellate counsel for Marex Titanic, Inc., in litigation related to competing efforts to salvage artifacts from the R.M.S. Titanic.

Litigation counsel for a coalition of churches in the successful defense of a constitutional challenge to a Virginia state law exempting church-affiliated child care centers from mandatory licensing.

Counsel for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in litigation over conflicting claims to property held by congregations which seceded from the Episcopal Church.

Successfully defended the constitutionality of Virginia's division fence law against a "special legislation" challenge in the Supreme Court of Virginia, obtaining reversal of a Circuit Court decision striking down the statute as unconstitutional.

Amicus counsel for the Virginia Manufacturers Association in appellate litigation under the federal Clean Air Act.

Counsel to the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the successful development of the Lake Gaston Pipeline Project, to provide public water supplies to South Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Counsel to the City of Newport News, Virginia, in the effort to develop the King William Reservoir Project, to provide public water supplies to North Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Representation of and advice to public and investor-owned utilities, including Augusta/Richmond County, Georgia, in hydroelectric licensing and relicensing cases.

Published Decisions
The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Virginia v. Truro Church, 280 Va. 6, 694 S.E.2d 555 (2010).

Burns v. Commonwealth, 279 Va. 243, 688 S.E.2d 263 (2010) (amicus curiae).

Lynchburg Division of Social Services v. Cook, 276 Va. 465, 666 S.E. 2d 361 (2008).

Carpitcher v. Commonwealth, 273 Va. 335, 641 S.E.2d 486 (2007).

Alliance to Save the Mattaponi v. Commonwealth, 270 Va. 423, 621 S.E.2d 78 (2005), cert. denied, 547 U.S. 1192 (2006).

Mattaponi Indian Tribe v. Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 45 Va. App. 208, 609 S.E.2d 619 (2005).

Alliance to Save the Mattaponi v. Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 43 Va. App. 724, 601 S.E.2d 684 (2004).

Mattaponi Indian Tribe v. Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 43 Va. App. 728, 601 S.E.2d 686 (2004).

Monroe v. Angelone, 323 F.3d 286 (4th Cir. 2003).

Dixon v. Edwards, 290 F.3d 699 (4th Cir. 2002) (amicus curiae).

Crutchfield v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, 230 F. Supp. 2d 687 (E.D. Va. 2002).

Mattaponi Indian Tribe v. Commonwealth, 261 Va. 366, 541 S.E.2d 920 (2001).

State of North Carolina v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 112 F.3d 1175 (D.C. Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1108 (1998).

Commonwealth of Virginia v. Browner, 80 F.3d 869 (4th Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 1090 (1997) (amicus curiae).

Hopewell Cogeneration Ltd. Partnership v. State Corporation Commission, 249 Va. 107, 453 S.E.2d 277 (1995).

In re City of Virginia Beach, 42 F.3d 881 (4th Cir. 1994).

Marex Titanic, Inc. v. Wrecked & Abandoned Vessel, 2 F.3d 544 (4th Cir. 1993).

City of Virginia Beach v. Board of Supervisors, 246 Va. 233, 435 S.E.2d 382 (1993).

Roanoke River Basin Association v. Hudson, 940 F.2d 58 (4th Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1092 (1992).

Holly Hill Farm Corp. v. Rowe, 241 Va. 425, 404 S.E.2d 48 (1991).

State of North Carolina v. City of Virginia Beach, 951 F.2d 596 (4th Cir. 1991).

Jones v. Poindexter, 903 F.2d 1006 (4th Cir. 1990).

Forest Hills Early Learning Center, Inc. v. Grace Baptist Church, 846 F.2d 260 (4th Cir. 1988), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 1029 (1989).

Publications, Presentations and Speaking Engagements
"Court clarifies preservation and endorsement of orders," Virginia Lawyers Weekly, June 8, 2009.

"Standards and ‘Secrets’ of Appellate Review,” Virginia CLE, April 2, 2009.

“Appellate Practice in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Virginia: Tips on Getting a Writ,” Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, Inc., Fall Conference 2007.

“Some Rules, Comments and Observations on the Art of Appellate Oral Advocacy,” CLE Handout, May 2006.

“Building Better Briefs,” with M. Scott Hart, Appellate Practice & Procedure in Virginia, The Bar Association of the City of Richmond, December 3, 1998.

Faculty member, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) Seminars on Appellate Advocacy 1992-1994.

“Standards of Appellate Review,” Litigation, Spring 1989, reprinted in the Litigation Manual, Third Edition (ABA 1999).

Lecturer in numerous Continuing Legal Education programs regarding appellate litigation.

Judge in numerous student Moot Court competitions.

Speaker on United States Constitution before civic, church, school and other community groups.

Speaker, HalfMoon Seminars for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors on Water Issues and the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), July 2008; August and October 2010.

Co-Author, Virginia Environmental Law Handbook (2008, 4th Ed.), Government Institutes, Inc., Rockville, MD, 400 pps.

"Building New Water Supply Capacity:  What Works and What Doesn't," with James E. Ryan, Jr. and M. Scott Hart, January 1, 2006.

“The Rise of Environmental Regulation and the Decline of the Common Law Riparian Doctrine,” American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, 11th Section Fall Meeting, October 2003.

“Issues in Developing Municipal Water Supplies: Federal Authorities Governing Municipal and Industrial Water Resource Development,” Annual ABA Water Law Conference, San Diego, CA, February 1999.

“Developing Water Supplies: Navigating Federal Regulatory Requirements,” in Water Law: Trends, Policies and Practice (ABA, 1995).

Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Year in Review, “Eastern Water Law” (ABA, 1992-present).

Lecturer in numerous Continuing Legal Education programs regarding water resource development permitting and litigation.