George P. Pappas

Shareholder - Houston, Texas

St. Mary's University, (J.D., 1983)
Texas A&M University, (B.S., Biology, 1980)

Practice Areas

• Toxic Tort and Environmental
  
• Products Liability
  
• Construction Litigation
  
• General Trial Law 

Admissions

• State Bar of Texas
  
• United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas

Legal Memberships

• Defense Research Insititute (DRI) - Environmental and Toxic Tort Committee Chair -- Asbestos and Silica Specialized Litigation Group; Editor -- Environmental and Toxic Tort Committee contributions to August, 2002 edition, FOR THE DEFENSE
  
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel
  
• Texas Aggie Bar Association
  
• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Surplus Lines Association
• Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association
  
  

Honors and Awards

• Speaker pro-tem of Student Senate; Senator; Phi Alpha Delta (Justice-Garner Chapter)

Mr. Pappas' legal career began in Bryan, Texas, where, for 6 years, he had an oil and gas bankruptcy, and commercial transaction and litigation practice.  This was followed by 8 years with a major Galveston, Texas law firm where he practiced commercial transaction and product liability law.

He joined Sheehy, Ware & Pappas in 1997, and is a member of the firm's toxic tort, product liability and general litigation groups.  In his 24 years of law practice, he has developed experience in a number of different substantive areas of trial practice, including products liability, toxic tort, environmental litigation, construction defect litigation, commercial litigation, insurance law, personal injury and wrongful death.  Mr. Pappas represents manufacturers, distributors, premises owners and contractors in toxic tort claims involving injury or death.  In addition to having considerable first-chair trial experience, he regularly represents his clients in a wide array of claims for personal injuries, property damage, and economic loss, both in Texas and nationally.

Representative Experience

Toxic Tort and Environmental:

• National Coordinating and Trial Counsel for a large industrial distributor, defending claims in Texas, and overseeing defense counsel in various states, including California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Ohio.
  
• Lead trial counsel in asbestos and silica exposure cases, including product liability, premises liability, gross negligent employer and negligent activity claims against contractors.
  
• Lead trial counsel for manufacturers and distributors of asbestos and chemicals in their Texas litigation.
  
• Lead counsel for clients involved in enforcing and defending claims for defense, indemnity, and additional insured coverage under distribution and construction agreements.
  
• Lead counsel defending state and federal clean-up actions arising from activities at oil recycling facilities.
  
• Lead counsel in securing dismissal of silica related disease product liability claims against a hand and pneumatic tool manufacturer in Texas and Mississippi.
  
• Lead counsel in successful defense of product suppliers, contractors, owners and homeowners associations against claims of occupiers for mold and "sick-building" related damages.

• Represented heavy haul and oil field trucking company, with respect to their legal needs, including claims involving cargo loss, personal injury, property damage, as well as commercial collection and administrative matters.
• Handled personal injury and litigation involving passengers and auto/bus collisions for a private school bus company which contracted with school districts for transportation.
• Handled personal injury, worker compensation and employment issues for a quasi-governmental corporation providing rural transportation services.
• Panel Counsel for a major domestic carrier and represent insureds in a variety of trucking related claims, including personal injury, property damage, cargo, environmental and product liability claims.
• Represent a major oilfield service company for personal injury and property litigation arising from trucking operations.

Products Liability:

• Counsel for manufacturers and lessors of heavy equipment against claims arising out of alleged negligent maintenance, product design, manufacturing, and marketing defects.

Construction Litigation:

• Counsel for product manufacturers and contractors against construction defect claims, as well as seeking indemnification for personal injury claims caused by alleged defective construction methods and materials.

General Trial Law:

Has successfully represented clients in a wide variety of claims, including:

• Errors and omissions claims against attorneys, accountants and insurance brokers
  
• Claims of unfair claims handling practices against insurance companies, brokers and agents
  
• Negligence claims against school transportation company
  
• Trucking and oil field service companies in tort and commercial litigation

Publications and Seminar Presentations

• Statutes of Repose as Defenses, DRI FOR THE DEFENSE, August 2002