George J. Skelly :: Securities & Governance Litigation :: Boston :: Nixon Peabody LLP

George J. Skelly
Partner

gskelly@nixonpeabody.com
617-345-1000
Fax: 866-294-7517

Experience

George J. Skelly joined the Business Litigation Group in the fall of 2003. George focuses his litigation practice on the representation of clients in class actions, SEC investigations, acquisition-related litigation, high-technology disputes, trade secret and trademark litigation, directors and officers insurance litigation and constitutional cases.

Prior to joining the firm, George was a partner at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

After graduating from Columbia University School of Law in 1984, George was a Law Clerk for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

 

Representative Experience

  • successfully defended the former CEO of a major public software company in a two week federal jury trial brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging securities fraud in accounting for software transactions
  • representing officers of public companies in internal investigations and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations regarding stock options grants
  • defense of officer of major mutual fund company regarding very high profile claims brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging market timing
  • defense of officer of major mutual fund company in Securities and Exchange Commission investigation regarding allegations of improper use of directed brokerage, soft dollars and other payments for “shelf space”
  • representing officers and trustees of mutual fund companies in defending against numerous class actions and derivative actions claiming that the mutual fund companies improperly permitted market timing in their funds
  • defending officers and trustees of mutual fund companies in numerous class actions and derivative actions claiming that the mutual fund companies engaged in impermissible "shelf space" arrangements with brokerage companies or otherwise charged excess fees
  • defending former underwriter of a family of mutual funds in class action claiming that the funds engaged in impermissible "shelf space" arrangements with brokerage companies or otherwise charged excess fees
  • representing investment management firm in connection with Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigations
  • representing public investment fund and its sponsors in proxy contest for control
  • representing investment management firm in connection with acquisition
  • representing major mutual fund complex in a variety of litigation matters
  • representing The Boston Beer Company, Inc. in defending several nationwide class actions in state and federal courts in which plaintiffs allege that the company and other brewers and distillers violated state laws by allegedly targeting minors in advertising.

Admissions

George is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Massachusetts, the First Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Education

Columbia University School of Law, J.D. (1984)
James Kent Scholar and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Princeton University, B.A., magna cum laude (1976)

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