Houston Mediation Lawyer

Wiley George has joined Miles Mediation & Arbitration (Miles), an Atlanta-based ADR firm.

After more than thirty-five years of having an active trial practice in Dallas and Houston representing and trying cases for both plaintiffs and defendants, I opened Wiley George Mediation PLLC.   During my trial practice I handled about every kind of commercial litigation case you could handle and had some personal injury experience too.  As a result of mediating countless cases, I learned some things about mediation that I thought were particularly effective and some things that I did not like.  When the mediator was educated about the dispute beforehand and stayed substantively engaged throughout the mediation day, the mediation had a good chance.  When the mediator was just going through the motions, shuttling back and forth with numbers, the mediation had much less of a chance.  One of the things that I particularly did not like was the downtime.  My goal as a mediator is to minimize the time parties and their lawyers sit twiddling their thumbs, and a way to deal with that is for me to study your dispute before you get to the mediation.  I have a suggested process for us to follow that will help me to do that.  Something else that I found effective in a mediator was follow-up.  If our mediation does not result in a settlement despite best efforts, you can depend on me to follow up. 

Working hard to get your dispute settled at mediation is not the only way I can facilitate a settlement.  I can also help you by serving as your “settlement counsel” or by helping you to evaluate your dispute for settlement purposes.  I also consider arbitration opportunities.  Whether you are considering me as a mediator, settlement counsel or an arbitrator, look at my background and the description of my mediation process, fees and other services.  If I am a fit for your dispute, please contact me. 

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Since opening my mediation practice and later joining Miles, I have mediated or served on arbitration panels involving nearly $1 billion in disputes.

Business/Commercial:

• Mediated portion of bankruptcy case over rejection of nine-figure long-term supply agreement between parties operating at a Houston-area chemical facility
• Mediated several “business divorces” between owners of closely held businesses, including claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfer, fraud, theft of trade secrets, and breach of contract
• Mediated contentious partition dispute between family members in a family limited partnership that owned a Texas ranch with cattle operations
• Mediated wrongful termination and breach of shareholder agreement dispute between tax and business consulting firm and its former CEO
• Mediated dispute between a global healthcare company and its technology services company over the interpretation of a multimillion-dollar professional services agreement
• Mediated dispute between a law firm and a departing partner over interpretation of the firm’s partnership agreement
• Mediated unfair competition dispute between two high-profile players in the legal industry
• Mediated dispute between franchisor and franchisee who alleged fraud in connection with entering into a franchise agreement and multi-unit development agreement
• Mediated dispute between buyer of a dental practice who alleged fraud against the seller
• Mediated dispute between bank and its customer over fraudulent wire transfers
• Mediated a dispute in which a DIP Lender sued a debtor-in-possession over alleged misrepresentations relating to an eight-figure DIP Loan

Construction:

• Mediated dispute between general contractor and subcontractor on a multi-billion-dollar LNG project. The dispute was related to millions of dollars of unpaid invoices for equipment and labor.
• Mediated dispute between a Fortune 500 construction and engineering firm and a developer over an MSA relating to the future development and construction of an LNG facility
• Mediated dispute between owners of a construction company over its dissolution
• Served on ICC arbitration panel for a dispute between EPC contractor and subcontractor over unpaid invoices, delay liquidated damages, warranty defects and other claims in connection with a massive expansion of a petrochemical facility

Energy:

• Mediated disputes between multiple royalty owners and a Fortune 100 energy company over interpretation of various oil and gas leases
• Mediated dispute between Fortune Global 500 energy company and a Fortune 500 energy company over the interpretation of an asset purchase agreement and related transition services agreement in connection with a nine-figure sale of oil and gas assets
• Mediated eight-figure dispute between energy companies over crude oil storage agreement
• Served on a AAA panel in connection with a lawsuit over the sale of a pressure pumping services provider
• Mediated dispute between energy companies over pricing for downhole completion services
• Mediated eight-figure dispute between Fortune 500 oilfield equipment manufacturer and one of its international distributors
• Mediated indemnity dispute between defendants to wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits over pipeline explosion
• Mediated indemnity dispute between energy companies over a downhole failure

Insurance:

• Mediated environmental insurance coverage dispute between Fortune 500 downstream energy company/policyholder, its pollution-liability reinsurer and multiple insurers in nine-figure CGL tower over a refinery explosion
• Mediated insurance coverage dispute over whether a Fortune 100 energy company was entitled to additional insured coverage for personal injuries relating to a pipeline explosion
• Mediated first-party insurance coverage dispute over alleged property damage to an office building from a tropical storm
• Mediated first-party insurance coverage dispute between a policyholder and an excess carrier over alleged property damage from a pollution incident
• Mediated insurance coverage dispute over alleged property damage for a downhole failure
• Mediated a declaratory judgment action by insurer against owner of an office building and its management company alleging no duty to defend a multi-plaintiff premises liability lawsuit against them
• Mediated bad faith lawsuit against insurer for failing to defend a lawsuit leading to a default judgment against the policyholder, a  family-owned construction business that then filed bankruptcy
• Mediated disputes between policyholders and insurance brokers over alleged failure to procure proper insurance