George-Chikovani

George Chikovani

Partner

George Chikovani is a commercial trial lawyer representing individuals and businesses in complex disputes.

George’s clients include Fortune 50 corporations, mid-size public and private companies, family businesses, and individuals. He has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants at all stages of litigation, including jury trials, arbitration hearings, and appeals in both federal and state courts. His practice spans a broad range of industries, including real estate, employment, trade secrets, antitrust, sports law, and technology.

In addition to his legal practice, George serves as a guest instructor in the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop, where he co-teaches courses on cross-examination and closing arguments. He regularly presents Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs on topics including legal ethics, attorney competence, and the use of artificial intelligence in legal practice. George has also served as a co-editor of the California Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law treatise, contributing to the chapter on monopolization, and has written numerous articles on antitrust law, class action procedures, and SEC criminal enforcement.

George has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer since 2024 and was previously selected as a Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2014-2017.

He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and New York University School of Law. Before joining Putterman Yu Wang in 2018, George practiced in the litigation groups of two leading national law firms.

Selected Matters

Complex Commercial Litigation
  • Represented an individual in a breach of a non-disparagement clause of a settlement agreement, securing a favorable verdict after a one-week jury trial.
  • Represent a leading public adjuster firm in litigation against former executives and employees, involving breach of fiduciary duties and anticompetitive conduct.
  • Represented climate finance and carbon credits developer in connection with loss of more than $15 million in funds held on behalf of client by client’s investor, a portfolio company of global private equity firm, resulting in successful settlement restoring all funds to client.
  • Represented a prominent cannabis technology company in litigation against international law firm that formerly represented counsel involving claims of more than $4 million in unpaid fees and malpractice by law firm, resulting in a successful settlement just before trial.
  • Represented the largest hotel in Los Angeles in litigation against a municipal transportation authority concerning nuisance, environmental, and constitutional claims related to a subway expansion project.
  • Represented hundreds of Arco gas station franchisees in mass action litigation against franchisor British Petroleum and Retalix, Inc. over defective hardware and software systems and gasoline pricing. The resulting five-week jury trial led to a verdict affirming the breach of warranty and damages for the reduction in business.
  • Represented an online vehicle auction company in federal litigation against a global consulting firm over a failed SAP software project and trade secret theft, resulting in a $20 million verdict following federal jury trial.
  • Represented a software startup and key executives in trade secret and employment-related claims by competitor, a global maker of computer lithography hardware and software, culminating in a five-week trial in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
  • Represented leading university system in claims against global consulting firm relating to failed implementation of Oracle/PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning software.
Employment
  • Negotiate employment and separation agreements for individuals and companies, addressing complex compensation, confidentiality, non-disparagement, and intellectual property issues.
  • Advise California employees in connection with employment agreements applying law of another state.
  • Advised clients in higher education, technology, finance, and hospitality industries on employment law matters, including employee classification and civil rights issues.
Sports law
  • Represented NFL player in a dispute with Fantex, Inc., securing arbitration verdict for over $1.1 million in based on violations of California’s Miller Ayala Athlete Agents Act.
  • Represent U.S. bankruptcy trustee for estate of NHL player seeking restitution and cancelation of over $1.5 million in fees collected or sought by Sure Sports, Inc. for violations of the Miller Ayala Act.
Antitrust/Unfair Competition
  • Represented leading Japanese electronics maker in wide-ranging multi-year worldwide antitrust proceedings relating to alleged price fixing in the TFT-LCD panel market, which included:
    • Nationwide federal MDL in the Northern District of California, involving class actions by direct and indirect purchasers
    • Individual actions by opt-out plaintiffs including global electronics makers and retailers, and state attorneys general
    • Government enforcement proceedings by U.S. DOJ, EU DG-Competition, Japan Fair Trade Commission, and Korea Fair Trade Commission.
    • Weeklong arbitration conducted under AAA/ICDR rules defending $300 million damages claim by major U.S. retailer, resulting in favorable settlement prior to verdict.
    • Appeals in Ninth Circuit and Seventh Circuit, resulting in published U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding application of Class Action Fairness Act to attorney general parens patriae actions.
  • Represented an agricultural cooperative in a multidistrict antitrust litigation involving price-fixing in the egg and egg products market.
  • Acted as individual counsel for employees of corporate defendants involved in antitrust actions, providing advice and representing them during depositions.
  • Provided ongoing counsel to clients on regulatory developments in antitrust law and the antitrust implications of business practices.
Intellectual Property
  • Litigated trade secret claims in diverse contexts, including prosecuting and defending claims of trade secret theft by former executives; prosecuting theft of proprietary software code by ERP integrator consulting company; and litigating value of trade secrets included in sale of business.
  • Enforced clients’ IP rights against trademark and trade dress infringement, successfully resolving disputes through pre-litigation negotiations.
Publications
  • California Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law, Co-Editor, Chapter on Monopolization (2014-2017); State Bar of California.
  • Expert Analysis: Expanding Reach Of Sherman Act Draws Criticism, Law360, Feb 20, 2013 (co-author).
  • Wal-Mart v. Dukes: Supreme Court Reverses Ninth Circuit, Clarifies Class Certification Standards, Pillsbury Client Alert, Jun 23, 2011.
  • Major Ninth Circuit Decision Sets Out Standards for Class Certification, Pillsbury Client Alert, Jun 3, 2010.
  • New California Law Reveals Winners May Be Losers: Significant Impact on Settlement Strategies?, Pillsbury Client Alert, May 20, 2010.
  • SEC Announces Significant New Initiatives to Encourage Cooperation in Investigations, Pillsbury Client Alert, Jan 15, 2010.
  • Asylum and Related Immigration Protections, 8th Ed., Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Editor (selected chapters).
Memberships and Admissions
  • State Bar of California
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Northern District of California
  • Eastern District of California
  • Central District of California
  • Executive Committee, Lawyers’ Club of San Francisco’s Inn of Court, 2021-2024; Secretary, 2023-2024