Experience

Mr. George has a very active estate planning, business planning and tax practice that includes the representation of individuals, families, privately owned companies and charitable organizations, both in the United States and abroad. Depending upon the issues at hand, the expertise of lawyers from other practice groups in the firm may be included to serve the needs of the client.

Mr. George has considerable experience in advising both young and old entrepreneurs and executives on the formation and operation of multi-owner and family owned companies including the issues that arise concerning the transfer of ownership to the next generation and the related tax and estate planning issues. Mr. George has been named by his peers as one of the top lawyers in Houston by H Texas Magazine for 2005 through 2007, and beginning in 2006 through 2010 has been consistently named as a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.

Representative Experience

Estate Planning

• Preparation of traditional Wills, life insurance trusts, revocable trusts as well as powers of attorney, medical directives, and related documents
• Devise gift and estate plans to minimize the payment of current or future estate and gift taxes
• Develop succession plans for family owned businesses
• Develop family entities such as family partnerships, limited liability companies, special-purpose trusts and trusts to direct the management, control and preservation of the family’s assets while minimizing taxes both during lifetime and at death
• Charitable planning including the use of trusts and family foundations
• Counsel on the benefits of and develop premarital and postmarital agreements for asset protection, succession planning and promoting family harmony

Business and Tax Planning

• Structure and negotiate the acquisition or sale of entities or their assets and coordinate with the firm’s specialists in real estate, environmental, employment or securities law matters as appropriate
• Develop Buy-Sell Agreements among shareholders to deal with death, divorce, disability and other issues among the owners
• Devise succession plans to transfer the business to the next generation of owners or to key employees
• Develop key employee agreements to encourage the retention of non-family members in the business
• Develop and prepare incentive compensation agreements for key employees
• Devise exit strategies for the owners including the sale of the business to family members, key employees and to the third parties in a tax effective and secure manner
• Business and tax counsel to entrepreneurs and family owned businesses in the formation and capitalization of new and growing businesses taking into account control issues, management, shareholder agreements and voting agreements
• Counsel on the resolution of disputes among the owners of closely-held businesses
• Advise and counsel on employee disputes and, as necessary, include lawyers from the Firm’s employment group
• Representation before the Internal Revenue Service on tax disputes of all nature

Press Releases & Honors

• Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers 2006 through 2011 by Thomson Reuters
• Selected for inclusion in "Texas Super Lawyers for the Family and Consumer" for 2007 by Thomson Reuters
• Named by H Texas Magazine as one of the "Top Lawyers in Houston" for 2005 through 2007
• Named by H Texas Magazine as "Houston's Top Lawyers for the People" for 2005 through 2007

 

Professional Certifications

• Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Representative Community and Civic Activities

• Rice University: Athletic Steering Committee; Board of Directors - Friends of Fondren Library; Board of Directors of the Owl Club; Rice Associates
• River Oaks Baptist School: Chair, The Legacy Society; Development Committee
• St. John’s School Quadrangle Club
• City of West University: Long Range Planning Committee