Crain Caton & James

Overview

Larry George focuses his practice in the areas of corporate and tax planning, estate planning, trust, and probate law.

He works with individuals, families, privately owned companies, and charitable organizations in the U.S. and abroad with tax planning and business planning. He frequently teams with other lawyers at Crain Caton & James, utilizing their knowledge and experience to best serve the needs of the client.

His valued counsel includes helping clients identify and mitigate the issues that arise concerning the transfer of wealth to the next generation and the related tax and estate planning issues. Additionally, Larry has considerable experience advising entrepreneurs and executives on the formation and operation of multi-owner and family-owned companies.

Larry was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2014-2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the area of tax law and trusts and estates.

Larry has been named by his peers as one of the top lawyers in Houston by H Texas Magazine for 2005-2007, and again for 2013-2017. Thomson Reuters has named Larry to the Super Lawyers list from 2006-2024. Only five percent of the lawyers in Texas were selected. Additionally, Larry is an AV Preeminent® Top Rated Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

Experience

Estate Planning

• Prepared traditional wills, life insurance trusts, revocable trusts as well as powers of attorney, medical directives, and related documents
• Devised gift and estate plans to minimize the payment of current or future estate and gift taxes
• Developed succession plans for family-owned businesses
• Developed family entities such as family partnerships, limited liability companies, special-purpose trusts, and trusts to direct the management, to control and preserve 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 post-marital agreements for asset protection, succession planning and promoting family harmony

Business/Tax Planning

• Structured and negotiated the acquisition or sale of entities or their assets and coordinated with the firm’s specialists in real estate, environmental, employment, or securities law matters as appropriate
• Developed Buy-Sell Agreements among shareholders to deal with death, divorce, disability and other issues among the owners
• Devised succession plans to transfer the business to the next generation of owners or to key employees
• Developed key employee agreements to encourage the retention of non-family members in the business
• Developed and prepared incentive compensation agreements for key employees
• Devised 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
• Counseled on the resolution of disputes among the owners of closely held businesses
• Advised and counseled on employee disputes and, as necessary, include lawyers from the Firm’s employment group
• Represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service on tax disputes of all nature

Affiliations

• Houston Bar Association

Community & Civic

• Athletic Steering Committee, Rice University, board member
• Friends of Fondren Library
• Owl Club, Rice Associates, board member
• The Legacy Society, River Oaks Baptist School
• St. John’s School Quadrangle Club, Development Committee, member
• The Women’s Home, co-chair of 2015 capital campaign

Honors & Awards

• Best Lawyers in America, BL Rankings, 2014-2025
• Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2006-2024
• AV Preeminent® Top Rated Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell
• Top Lawyer in Texas, H Texas Magazine, 2013-2017