Gerald F. George
Senior Counsel
Gerald George is a seasoned environmental attorney and litigator, with extensive experience in successfully resolving federal and state enforcement actions, natural resource damage actions, and citizen suits. Gerald also advises on regulatory matters involving air, water, waste, and environmental impact review laws. He has more than 40 years’ experience in civil lawsuits, including 30 years of handling major environmental litigation throughout the country.
Gerald has represented corporate and government agency clients in a wide range of environmental litigation, including natural resource damage and response cost claims under CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and state counterpart laws. He also worked as a Senior Lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental Enforcement Section, managing the Section’s San Francisco field office and serving as lead counsel on several major environmental enforcement actions, including the seminal natural resource damage case, U.S. v. Montrose Chemical. Gerald is also an experienced mediator, having conducted more than 100 mediations since entering private practice in 1995.
Admitted to Practice
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California, 1989
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District of Columbia, 1985
Education
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J.D., Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 1969
- Order of the Coif
- Note Editor, Indiana Law Journal
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B.A., Economics, Indiana University, 1965
Memberships & Affiliations
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- Vice-chair and Newsletter Co-editor, Mining and Mineral Extraction Committee, 2012-2016; Vice-chair and Editor of Year in Review, Marine Resources Committee, 1999-2011 – Section of Environment, Energy and Resources, American Bar Association
- Executive Committee, 2000-2003; Advisory Member, Executive Committee, 2003-present; Final Round Judge, Law Student Environmental Negotiation Competition – State Bar of California
- Law360 Environment Advisory Board, 2016
- Pro Bono, federal Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs for the Northern District of California and Eastern District of California
- Early Settlement Program, The Bar Association of San Francisco
Professional Recognition
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- Named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Natural Resources Law by Best Lawyers, 2020-present; named in Environmental Law and in Litigation - Environmental Law by Best Lawyers, 2023
Background
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- Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, San Francisco, 2005-2013
- Partner, Campbell, George & Strong LLP, San Francisco, 1995-2005
- Senior Lawyer, U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, managing the Environmental Enforcement Section field office in San Francisco, 1988-1995
- Adjunct Professor, Environmental Law, University of San Francisco School of Law, 1992-1995