George P. Pappas

Biography

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 product liability, construction, toxic tort, and general litigation groups.  In his nearly 30 years of law practice, he has developed experience in a number of different substantive areas of trial practice, including products liability, professional errors and omissions, construction, transportation, energy, toxic tort and environmental commercial insurance law and general tort litigation.  Mr. Pappas regularly represents:

• product manufacturers and distributors, premises owners and contractors in toxic tort and other product liability claims
• insurance agents and brokers, design and construction professionals, attorneys and others in claims involving claims of professional negligence
• property owners, general and subcontractors in construction defect and accident litigation
• domestic and foreign insurance companies, both admitted and surplus, and their insureds in first and third party litigation

Education

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

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
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)

Admissions

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

Practice Areas and Casework

Practice Areas

• Product Liability, Toxic Tort and Environmental
• Professional Errors and Omissions
• Construction and Construction Defect Litigation
• Trucking and Transportation
• General Trial Law

Casework

Product Liability, Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation:

• Counsel for manufacturers, distributors and lessors of equipment and components against claims arising out of alleged product design, manufacturing, and marketing defects.
• National Coordinating and Trial Counsel for a large industrial distributor, defending claims in Texas, and overseeing defense counsel in over 15 different states.
• 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.

Trucking/Transportation Law:

• Represented heavy haul and oil field trucking company, 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 pravate school bus company.
• 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.
• Representation of oilfield service companies for personal injury and property litigation arising from trucking operations.

Professional Errors and Omissions:

• Counsel for insurance agents and brokers involving claims of negligence in securing various coverages.
• Errors and omissions claims against attorneys, accoountants and design professionals.
• Claims of unfair claims handling practices against insurance companies, their agents and adjusters. 

Construction and Construction Defect Litigation:

• Counsel for owners, design professionals, general contractors, subcontractors, and product manufacturers in construction defect claims, as well as defending and seeking indemnification for personal injury claims caused by alleged defective construction methods and materials.