H. George Avery
H. GEORGE AVERY is a member of the Firm's Litigation & Insurance Services Practice Group and he has practiced in both the private and public legal sectors for more than forty-five years. His public service has included New Jersey Attorney General's Office, the Bergen County Counsel's Office and Clerking before graduation in the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. His career has included various assignments with the New Jersey Attorney General's Office where he was in charge of litigation in State and Federal Court specialized in areas of defense of catastrophic personal injury, FELA, implementation of ADR programs, complex litigation, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, defense of transportation and railroad systems, personal defense of high government officials, insurance coverage, products liability, employment law, tort claims, defense of public entities, construction litigation, issues of indemnification and contribution, election law, environmental, contracts, Section 1983 litigation, drafting Legislation, Workers Compensation, coordination of Risk Management for the State of New Jersey and appellate matters in State and Federal Court. Mr. Avery further represented all branches of government including the chief executive, cabinet officers, the Judiciary and the New Jersey State Police. Before joining the Attorney General of New Jersey, Mr. Avery served as Bergen County Counsel where he represented the Board of County Freeholders, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department and all Agencies and Departments of County government.
While serving as the Senior Deputy Attorney General, he devised new litigation defenses with physicians and liability experts, including the first known computer-generated to-scale accident re-creation with Princeton University. During this period of time, Mr. Avery tried the largest personal injury and tort claims matter ever tried to that point in the State of New Jersey before a jury in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County. Mr. Avery further tried a non-jury nine month catastrophic railroad incident in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer County.
Currently, Mr. Avery practices in the areas of trial practice, personal injury, claims against public entities, appellate practice, contracts, commercial, construction, insurance defense, insurance coverage, insurance fraud, product liability, business law, professional malpractice, medical malpractice, employment, premises liability, toxic tort, public interest, administrative proceedings, transportation issues, local government law, election law, public affairs, legislative affairs, administrative proceedings, business law, civil rights, public and private defamation, media, premises liability and complex civil litigation in both Federal and State Courts. Due to his breath of experience, Mr. Avery has continued to practice in the numerous areas enumerated above while in the public sector. He has further participated extensively in public interest and public affairs in numerous and wide-ranging matters involving many governmental and legislative bodies.
During his career, Mr. Avery has tried hundreds of jury trials to conclusion. Mr. Avery was admitted to the Bars in New Jersey in 1974, the United States Supreme Court and United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 1982. He was also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the United States Tax Court. Mr. Avery is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the Supreme Historical Society and numerous County Bar and Trial Associations. In addition, Mr. Avery has served as a lecturer with the Institute for Continued Legal Education.
Mr. Avery graduated from Boston University School of Law. Upon receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1973, he served in a judicial clerkship with Justice Morris Pashman of the Supreme Court of New Jersey as well as assisting Chief Justice Pierre P. Garvin and Chief Justice Richard J. Hughes. Following his clerkship, Mr. Avery practiced in the private sector.
- Listed in Super Lawyers® (2008-2009), a Thomson Reuters business, in the area of Civil Litigation: Defense. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
- In 2003 and 2004, Mr. Avery tried the largest construction defect case ever tried in the State of New Jersey involving a pier built by the Ford Motor Company in 1929 and upon which Hartz Mountain, the developer, constructed numerous condominiums 1500 feet into the Hudson River. Plaintiffs demanded hundreds of millions of dollars to resolve this matter. After a seven month trial, Mr. Avery "no caused" on behalf of his client.
- In 2016, Mr. Avery successfully tried a five month trial in the Superior Court of New Jersey involving issues of fraud, construction, engineering, contract and public contracting.
H. GEORGE AVERY is a member of the Firm's Litigation & Insurance Services Practice Group and he has practiced in both the private and public legal sectors for more than forty-five years. His public service has included New Jersey Attorney General's Office, the Bergen County Counsel's Office and Clerking before graduation in the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. His career has included various assignments with the New Jersey Attorney General's Office where he was in charge of litigation in State and Federal Court specialized in areas of defense of catastrophic personal injury, FELA, implementation of ADR programs, complex litigation, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, defense of transportation and railroad systems, personal defense of high government officials, insurance coverage, products liability, employment law, tort claims, defense of public entities, construction litigation, issues of indemnification and contribution, election law, environmental, contracts, Section 1983 litigation, drafting Legislation, Workers Compensation, coordination of Risk Management for the State of New Jersey and appellate matters in State and Federal Court. Mr. Avery further represented all branches of government including the chief executive, cabinet officers, the Judiciary and the New Jersey State Police. Before joining the Attorney General of New Jersey, Mr. Avery served as Bergen County Counsel where he represented the Board of County Freeholders, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department and all Agencies and Departments of County government.
While serving as the Senior Deputy Attorney General, he devised new litigation defenses with physicians and liability experts, including the first known computer-generated to-scale accident re-creation with Princeton University. During this period of time, Mr. Avery tried the largest personal injury and tort claims matter ever tried to that point in the State of New Jersey before a jury in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County. Mr. Avery further tried a non-jury nine month catastrophic railroad incident in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer County.
Currently, Mr. Avery practices in the areas of trial practice, personal injury, claims against public entities, appellate practice, contracts, commercial, construction, insurance defense, insurance coverage, insurance fraud, product liability, business law, professional malpractice, medical malpractice, employment, premises liability, toxic tort, public interest, administrative proceedings, transportation issues, local government law, election law, public affairs, legislative affairs, administrative proceedings, business law, civil rights, public and private defamation, media, premises liability and complex civil litigation in both Federal and State Courts. Due to his breath of experience, Mr. Avery has continued to practice in the numerous areas enumerated above while in the public sector. He has further participated extensively in public interest and public affairs in numerous and wide-ranging matters involving many governmental and legislative bodies.
During his career, Mr. Avery has tried hundreds of jury trials to conclusion. Mr. Avery was admitted to the Bars in New Jersey in 1974, the United States Supreme Court and United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 1982. He was also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the United States Tax Court. Mr. Avery is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the Supreme Historical Society and numerous County Bar and Trial Associations. In addition, Mr. Avery has served as a lecturer with the Institute for Continued Legal Education.
Mr. Avery graduated from Boston University School of Law. Upon receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1973, he served in a judicial clerkship with Justice Morris Pashman of the Supreme Court of New Jersey as well as assisting Chief Justice Pierre P. Garvin and Chief Justice Richard J. Hughes. Following his clerkship, Mr. Avery practiced in the private sector.
- Listed in Super Lawyers® (2008-2009), a Thomson Reuters business, in the area of Civil Litigation: Defense. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
- In 2003 and 2004, Mr. Avery tried the largest construction defect case ever tried in the State of New Jersey involving a pier built by the Ford Motor Company in 1929 and upon which Hartz Mountain, the developer, constructed numerous condominiums 1500 feet into the Hudson River. Plaintiffs demanded hundreds of millions of dollars to resolve this matter. After a seven month trial, Mr. Avery "no caused" on behalf of his client.
- In 2016, Mr. Avery successfully tried a five month trial in the Superior Court of New Jersey involving issues of fraud, construction, engineering, contract and public contracting.