George F. Carpinello

George has extensive experience litigating cases in federal, state, and bankruptcy courts throughout the United States. He has litigated in areas such as securities fraud, False Claims Act cases, class actions, intellectual property, antitrust, civil rights, Native American law, and land use. He has personally argued close to 100 appeals in federal and state appellate courts.

He is Chair of the New York State Advisory Committee on Civil Practice, which advises the Chief Judge and the Chief Administrative Judge of the state on changes in New York’s civil practice and has been a member of a number of court and bar association committees. He has been nominated by the New York Judicial Selection Commission for a seat on the New York Court of Appeals four times, twice for the position of Chief Judge.

Before joining the firm, George was a partner in a boutique litigation firm and was formerly a professor of law and the director of the Government Law Center of the Albany Law School.

Among the recent significant litigation matters in which George has been involved are the following:

• Representing several major corporate clients in actions against broker-dealers for securities fraud arising from the sale of auction rate securities
• Representing the New York Yankees in litigation relating to a legislative investigation of the construction of Yankee Stadium
• Representing Caesars Entertainment in extensive litigation involving Native American gaming in the state of New York
• Representing a qui tam plaintiff in an action against Trinity Industries for fraud involving the sale of guardrail end terminals that had not been approved by the federal government, resulting in a judgment in excess of $600 million
• Representing several insurance companies in actions brought against power saw manufacturers for the sale of defective power saws
• Acting as lead counsel in several class actions on behalf of former debtors challenging the practice of various banks that had refused to notify credit reporting agencies that plaintiffs’ debts had been discharged in bankruptcy
• Bringing several landmark First Amendment actions challenging censorship of commercial advertising

Sealing of Court Records in the Commercial Courts, Commercial Litigation in New York, 2nd Ed. (2015)

Public Access to Court Records in New York, 66 Albany Law Review 1089 (2003)

Integrating SEQRA into the Local Land Use Decision-Making Process, Government Law Center (1991)

Testing the Limits of Choice of Law Clauses, 74 Marquette Law Review 58 (1990)

Public Access to Court Records in Civil Proceedings, 54 Albany Law Review 93 (1989)

A Cautious Approach to Service by Fax, 53 Albany Law Review 153 (1988)