About George Paul
Mr. Paul is both an experienced business litigator, and a nationally known consultant and author on digital evidence and electronic health records. He has long had an "AV/Preeminent Attorney" rating with Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Paul’s recent litigation includes cases in the area of business torts; probate, estate and trust litigation; and trade secret and other intellectual property litigation, including copyright. He is currently working on a book about Advanced Trial Techniques, to be published by the American Bar Association. Mr. Paul has lectured both on trial techniques and the Arizona Evidence Rules.
Mr. Paul has many months of jury trials under his belt; numerous bench trials; and trials in arbitration. See information below for representative cases.
Mr. Paul recently authored the American Bar Association’s acclaimed book, Foundations of Digital Evidence (2008). Before that he co-authored a book entitled The Discovery Revolution: E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (2006). Mr. Paul is the author of numerous articles, including the oft cited “Information Inflation: Can the Legal System Adapt?”, 13 RICH. J.L. & TECH. 10 (2007), co-authored with Jason Baron, and The Authenticity Crisis. Paul was a Senior Editor for The Sedona Conference® Best Practices Commentary on Search & Retrieval Methods (August, 2007). In addition, Mr. Paul testified at hearings in Washington on both the E-Discovery Rules of Civil Procedure, and on the proposal to enact Rule 502, Federal Rules of Evidence.
Mr. Paul is currently Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence Committee, and is a frequent national lecturer on the topic of E-Discovery and its ethics, including recently in Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Salt Lake City, Houston, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Twice in 2009 he was the featured Keynote Speaker at national conferences on electronic records. Mr. Paul is frequently quoted in the ABA Journal about breaking topics, and has been interviewed numerous times by National Public Radio about digital evidence issues.
Recent Representative Cases
Currently serving as co-counsel for the plaintiff in Corbello v. DeVito, et al; United States District Court, District of Nevada, Case No.: 2-08-cv-00687-RCJ-PAL. Case involves breach of contract, copyright infringement and/or duties to account to copyright co-owners.
Currently representing taxpayers against the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, in Estate of Ellen D. Foster v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Docket No. 16839-08.
Successfully represented plaintiffs in a $50,000,000 case against the Northern Trust Company, In the Matter of the Estate of Ellen Derges Foster, Shapiro, et al v. Kavanagh, et al, Maricopa County, Arizona. See CV-2007-006876. Case alleged breach of trust, conflict of interest and self -dealing.
Successfully represented Chairman and CEO of a pharmaceutical company in dispute over control of corporation. Ratcliff v. Rowpar Pharmaceuticals Inc, M CV-2007-011117. Obtained TRO and Preliminary Injunction. Case involved notice and proxy provisions of Arizona statutes.
Successfully represented Jigsaw Technologies, Inc. and others, in a copyright/trade secrets case, Modular Mining Systems, Inc. V. Jigsaw, et al. in Pima County, CV No2004636. Defeated attempt to obtain preliminary injunction, after hearing. Case involved computer software architecture and code, for interoperable systems that monitor and control heavy machinery in open pit mines, world wide.
Successfully handled three judge arbitration for one-half owner in dissolution of the largest dairy in the State of Arizona, comprising 5000 head of cattle and 1500 milk cows. Tappan v. Morrison. Case involved partnership accounting, issues of valuation including cost of dismantling dairy operation, and environmental clean up issues.
Successfully represented buyer of a $54,000,000 apartment complex in Mesa Arizona, in a case of fraud and misrepresentation of financial information. Nearon Corporation v. Torino.
Successfully represented Liquidating Trustee of William Herbert Hunt Trust, in a case against Bruce McNall, former owner Los Angeles Kings, involving ancient Roman bronze statue. Recovered cost of antiquity. Case involved fraudulent transfer and authenticity of ancient bronze, and illegal international trade in antiquities, particularly from Turkey. Thomas Hoving, former Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, testified as expert witness on illegal international trade in antiquities.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Co-Chair, American Bar Association’s Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence Committee, Section of Science and Technology Law
- Member Advisory Board, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Center for Study of Law, Science and Technology (2006 present)
- American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology, Member and Former Council Member
- American Bar Association Litigation Section
- American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section
- Sedona Conference®, Member
- Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science and Technology, Editorial Board Member (published jointly by the ASU College of Law and the American Bar Association)
- Co-Founder and Past Chair, Arizona State Bar’s Section of Internet, E-Commerce & Technology Law,
Publications
- Author, Foundations of Digital Evidence (ABA Publishing 2008). To order a copy of Mr. Paul’s book contact the American Bar Association at http://www.abanet.org/.
- Co-Author, "Seek and Ye Shall Find?" American Lawyer (E-Discovery Supplement), December 2008
- Author, “The Discovery Revolution: E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” January 1, 2008
- Author, “Information Inflation: Can The Legal System Adapt?” Richmond Journal of Law & Technology, Volume XIII, Issue 3, 2007
- “E-Discovery Podcast Audio Interview with the American Bar Association”
- Co-Author, “‘Clawbacks,’ ‘Sneak-Peeks,’ and the ‘Retrieval Procedure’ under the New Federal Rules – The Risks of the New Inadvertent Disclosure Procedure," Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer, Special Supplement, December 2006
- Co-Author, The Discovery Revolution: E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (ABA Publishing 2006). To order a copy of Mr. Paul’s book contact the American Bar Association at http://www.abanet.org/.
- Author, “No: You Can’t Call Them Documents Anymore,” Business Law Today, Spring 2005
- Author, “The “E-Discovery” Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” The American Lawyer, December 2005
- Author, “The ‘Authenticity Crisis’ in Real Evidence,” reprinted in The Practical Litigator, November 2004, available online at www.ali-aba.org.
- Author, “The Authenticity Crisis,” appearing in both The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel, October 2004, available online at Discovery Resources
- Author, “The E-Business Legal Arsenal: Practitioner Agreements and Checklists,” Leadership Contributor, 2004, published by the American Bar Association
- Author, “John Frank and the Law Professors’ Brief,” Arizona State Law Journal, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2003
- Author, “The ‘Authenticity Crisis’ in Real Evidence,” Scientific Evidence Review Monograph No. 5, Fall 2001
- Author, “What is Truth in the Digital Age?” The Canadian Lawyers’ Weekly, May 26, 2000
- Author, “Fabrication of Evidence: A Click Away,” The National Law Journal, February 21, 2000
- Author, “PKI Assessment Guidelines: Guidelines to Help Assess and Facilitate Interoperable Trustworthy Public Key Infrastructures,” Information Security Committee, Electronic Commerce Division, Section of Science and Technology Law, American Bar Association, 2000
Other Distinctions
Mr. Paul is listed in the 2009 edition of Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel in the category of Business Litigation and in the 2008 and 2009 editions of Southwest Super Lawyers in the category of Business Litigation. He is also listed in the 2009 (Category of Information Technology Law) and the 2010 (Categories of Information Technology Law and Technology Law)editions of The Best Lawyers in America, by Woodward/White, Aiken, S.C.
Mr. Paul has an "AV/Preeminent Attorney" rating with Martindale-Hubbell.