Previous Law Firm Name

• Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, September 1, 1992

Law Firm Overview

George & Donaldson was formed in 1992 by three partners from the Austin law firm of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody. Skilled trial lawyers with a taste for important and at times unusual cases, the trio built a nationally recognized general litigation practice with a reputation for tenacity and winning at trial. The firm has established a fast-growing practice in high-tech, intellectual property and related litigation, including litigation in the emerging law of cyberspace. Jim George has been cited in The Best Lawyers in America for business litigation, while both George and founding-partner David Donaldson have been listed among the best lawyers in America for First Amendment law.

The firm, with individual expertise in technology, general business and constitutional law, is known for taking on Goliath and winning. Representing Austin computer chip-maker Staktek Corp. in a high-tech trade secret and business libel case, George won what was at the time the largest jury verdict in Travis County. In one of the first civil liberties victories in cyberspace, G&D represented Austin?s Steve Jackson Games in a lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service that established limits on the government?s ability to seize and pry into electronic communications. Recently, its lawyers won a large settlement for clients in a rare legal malpractice lawsuit against advisors to Austin Forex International Inc., whose founder defrauded hundreds of individual investors. Currently, G&D is representing Texas Hill County landowners in a suit against Longhorn Partners and various federal agencies to keep gasoline out of a 700-mile pipeline that crosses the environmentally-sensitive Edwards Aquifer in Austin. G&D has successfully defended and sued on behalf of the City of Austin.

Early in its history, G&D established itself as one of the top First Amendment boutiques in the country. It continues to handle a major share of the libel and communications legal work in Texas. National media clients include: Time, Inc., Dow Jones & Co. (publisher of The Wall Street Journal and Barron's ), NBC and Forbes magazine. The firm successfully defended rap recording artist Tupac Shakur and Time Warner in a high-profile wrongful death case. Regional and local media clients include Texas Monthly magazine, The Austin Chronicle and New Times, Inc., alternative weeklies.

The firm publishes a periodic newsletter called Legal Bytes , which discusses current legal issues of interest in the firm?s practice areas, particularly intellectual property and computer law.

Areas of Practice

• Business & Commercial Law
• Estate Planning
• Family Law
• Litigation & Appeals
• Real Estate Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Communications & Media Law
• Science & Technology Law

Representative Clients

• The Associated Press
• The Austin American-Statesman (Cox Enterprises, Inc.)
• The Austin Chronicle
• The Better Business Bureau
• BMC Software, Inc.
• The City of Austin, Texas
• CBS, Inc.
• Cicada Semiconductor
• The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company)
• Forbes Magazine

West Practice Categories

Business & Commercial Law, Communications & Media Law, Estate Planning, Family Law, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation & Appeals, Real Estate Law, Science & Technology Law