George D. Jonson

Partner

George represents individuals and businesses in a wide range of civil litigation. He defends lawyers in professional liability claims; represents attorneys and judges in disciplinary proceedings; and advocates for candidates seeking admission to the Ohio bar in character and fitness proceedings. George also defends Ohio state court judges in a variety of civil matters and provides ethics advice to lawyers and judges.

George has extensive experience in commercial litigation and resolution of business disputes. He represents public and private companies and their principals in a variety of matters, including breach of contract, business torts, non-compete litigation, disputes between owners of closely held corporations, and law firm/partner separations.

George frequently represents plaintiffs in personal injury actions in Ohio and Kentucky, primarily in the areas of vehicle accidents, product liability, and medical malpractice. He also mediates professional liability cases and has served as an expert witness on legal ethics and standard-of-care issues.

As an experienced trial lawyer and appellate counsel, George regularly practices before the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct and Board of Commissioners on Character and Fitness, and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and numerous state and federal trial courts.

In 2014, the Ohio State Bar Association honored George with the Eugene R. Weir Award for Ethics and Professionalism. For more than 20 years, he has served as a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association’s Ethics & Professional Responsibility Committee and Fee Arbitration Committee. George speaks regularly on ethics, professional responsibility, and legal malpractice prevention.

Professional Details

Case Decisions

Presentations & Articles

Awards and Recognition

  • 2014 Eugene R. Weir Award for Ethics and Professionalism
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating (5.0 out of 5.0) and Client Rating (5.0 out of 5.0)

Affiliations

  • Cincinnati Bar Association, member of Ethics Committee and Fee Arbitration Committee
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Southwest Ohio Trial Lawyers Association
  • Northern Kentucky Bar Association

Education

  • J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law
  • B.A., Psychology, Miami University

Admissions

  • Ohio
  • Kentucky
  • United States Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Representative Supreme Court of Ohio Oral Arguments

Representative Ethics Decisions

Representative Substantive-Law Decisions

  • Borkowski v. Abood, 117 Ohio St.3d 347, 2008-Ohio-857, 884 N.E.2d 7
  • Leibreich v. A.J. Refrigeration, Inc., 67 Ohio St.3d 266, 617 N.E.2d 1068 (1993)
  • Motorists Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hamilton Township Trustees, 28 Ohio St.3d 13, 502 N.E.2d 204 (1986)

Recent Presentations

  •  Creation and Termination of Attorney-Client Relationship, National Business Institute Legal Ethics of Email seminar (Dec. 21, 2016)
  •  Professional Conduct, Cincinnati Bar Association Brown Bag Seminar Series (Nov. 30, 2016)
  •  Professionalism—A Lawyer’s Creed & Aspirational Ideals, 18th Annual Atrium Medical Center Foundation Estate & Tax Planning Professional Seminar (Nov. 4, 2016)
  •  Development and Use of Stipulations, 2016 Miller-Becker Seminar (Oct. 21, 2016) (panelist)
  •  Ethics, University of Cincinnati College of Law Orientation (Summer 2016)
  •  Legal Ethics Training, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators 2016 Workshop & Law Institute (Mar. 9, 2016)
  •  Avoiding Malpractice Pitfalls in Small and Solo Firms, NKU Chase College of Law Transactional Law Practice Center (Winter 2015) (co-presenter)
  •  Ethics and Professionalism, 17th Annual Atrium Medical Center Foundation Estate & Tax Planning Professional Seminar (Fall 2015)
  •  Ethics, 2015 Miller-Becker Seminar (Oct. 23, 2015)
  •  Ethical Issues Running a Law Firm and IOLTA Accounts, NKY Chase College of Law (Fall 2015)
  •  Ethical Issues During LLC Formation, National Business Institute Limited Liability Companies seminar (Aug. 31, 2015)
  •  Ethics, Cincinnati Paralegal Association Fall 2014 CLE Seminar (Oct. 29, 2014)
  •  Ethics, 2014 Miller-Becker Seminar (Oct. 24, 2014)
  •  Legal Ethics: Hot Topics (Dec. 20, 2013)
  •  Professionalism, Cincinnati Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee CLE Institute (Dec. 19, 2013)
  •  Ethics, Cincinnati Bar Association (Dec. 12, 2012)
  •  Aggravation, Litigation, and Sanction, 2012 Miller-Becker Seminar (Oct. 2012) (panelist)

Publications

Related Posts

Partner George Jonson Discusses Non-Traditional Tactics to Defend Attorneys against Malpractice Suits

George Jonson recently participated in a panel discussion at the National Legal Malpractice Conference in Colorado Springs. George offered i…

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