As a former banker and trained credit analyst, George Guerra has a well developed sense of how business works and how business professionals think. As a practicing lawyer for nearly 20 years, those skills have been critical in helping resolve countless disputes on an individual and industry-wide basis. He has represented clients in all forms of litigation in court and in arbitration with more than 40 arbitration awards and numerous court decisions to his credit.
Some of the matters he has handled include:
– Representation of a broker/dealer in an industry-wide action regarding the treatment of interest on advance bond refundings.
– Defense of claims by a minority trade group association of a multimillion dollar claims asserting mishandling of the association’s accounts.
– Defending a broker/dealer against multiple claims brought against the firm and a deceased registered representative.
– Representation of a securities clearing firm against claims stemming from conduct by the introducing broker/dealer’s registered representative.
– Prosecution of a manufacturer’s former senior executive in connection with the theft of trade secrets and certain corporate opportunities.
– Defense of registered representatives and broker/dealers in contractual disputes after the termination of the registered representative.
George is licensed in California and Florida but has represented clients in matters throughout the United States including New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Washington D.C. He is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been recognized by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America and Florida Trend magazine’s Legal Elite. He is a 1985 graduate of Boston College where he was awarded the Harry W. Smith Award for outstanding service to the university and was named in Who’s Who among American Colleges and Universities. He was awarded his Juris Doctor in 1991 from the Stetson University College of Law and, in that same year, was also the recipient of the International Academy of Trial Lawyer’s Advocacy Award.
He has been invited to speak on various occasions to industry groups on topics including Broker/Dealer compliance, arbitration and most recently as a guest lecturer at the University of South Florida’s Corporate Governance Series.
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Past Experience
- Fowler White Boggs Tampa, FL, Shareholder 2007-2009
- Tate Lazarini Brady & Guerra, PLC, Tampa, FL, Tampa Office Managing Partner, 2003-2007
- Gray Harris & Robinson, Tampa, FL, Shareholder, 2002-2003
- Raymond James Financial, Inc., Tampa, FL, Vice President and Associate Corporate Counsel, 1998-2002
- Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs P.A., Tampa, FL, Associate, 1994-1998
- Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel, San Jose, CA, Associate, 1992-1994
- SunTrust Banks, Tampa, FL, Corporate Lending Division, 1985-1989
Presentations
- “Securities Law Developments: Avoiding Traps for the Unwary in Every Day Practice and Recent Class Action Developments,” Moderator, Hillsborough County Bar Association, April 27, 2007
- Frequent speaker on corporate law and other related topics
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Hillsborough County Bar Association: Chair, Securities Section
- Securities Industry Association: Legal and Compliance Division
- The Florida Bar: Past Member, Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee
Community Involvement
- Suncoast Chapter of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society: President of the Board of Trustees, 2007; Corporate Chairman, Light the Night Campaigns, 2005-2006
Practice Areas
- Securities and Financial Services Litigation
- Non-compete & Raiding Litigation
- Partnership Disputes
- Class Action Litigation
Education
- J.D., Stetson University College of Law, 1991 (Trial Team, Moot Court Board, A.T.L.A. Best Advocate Award, Closing Argument competition -1st Place)
- B.A., Boston College, 1985
Bar Admissions
- Florida
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- Florida State Courts
- California State Courts
Distinctions
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2008-2019
- Florida Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine, 2007; ranked in the top 2% of practicing Florida Bar members
- Tampa Bay’s Top Lawyers by Tampa Bay Magazine, July/August 2010
- Florida Super Lawyers, Florida Super Lawyers Magazine, 2011 – 2019