George J. Spathis
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Member

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321 N. Clark Street, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60654
312.980.3827
gspathis@shawgussis.com

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BAR ADMISSIONS
Illinois

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OTHER COURT ADMISSIONS
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

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EDUCATION
J.D., with high honors, IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1990
B.A., University of Illinois, 1987

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Working with executives on managing and avoiding litigation risks is the impetus by which George Spathis conducts his practice. However, when litigation is unavoidable, George has nearly two decades of experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in commercial and bankruptcy litigation in both state and federal courts throughout the United States.

He has prosecuted and defended varying claims, including breach of contract, fraudulent conveyances, the U.C.C., copyright, fraud, business torts, securities and commodities, class actions, franchise disputes, professional negligence, RICO, corporate and partnership governance, breach of fiduciary duties, monopolization, antitrust, unfair competition, trademark, deceptive trade practices, mergers and acquisitions, wrongful termination, restrictive covenants, health care, libel and slander. He has had lead responsibilities in all facets of litigation.

In addition, George represents a number of Bankruptcy Trustees and Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors and Debtors in significant adversarial proceedings as well as numerous large and mid-sized businesses in varying commercial litigation throughout the Midwest. He also serves as outside general counsel to closely-held entities working with them on litigation avoidance strategies and on diverse transactional matters.

His more significant recent engagements include:

  • Obtaining a judgment at trial in favor of the plaintiff in a dispute over ownership and control of a seventy-five year old family business

  • Appeal to the United States District Court for the Seventh Circuit on behalf of a regional telecommunications carrier challenging a mandatory order of injunction. The Court ruled in the carrier’s favor on the day after oral argument

  • Obtaining a judgment for over $10,000,000 on behalf of a Creditor’s Committee that challenged unlawful dividends paid by a Debtor/LLC to its members/owners, in the United States Bankruptcy Court

  • Obtaining a judgment for over $2,800,000 against a former officer of a Debtor/corporation for his fraudulent conveyance of the corporation’s property and his usurpation of corporate opportunities following a bifurcated trial in the United States Bankruptcy Court.

  • Defending an assignee for the benefit of creditors in a $1,500,000 breach of contract action brought by a stalking-horse bidder in the United States District Court. The jury deliberated for less than four hours before returning a judgment (no liability) in defendant’s favor

  • Representation of a publicly traded gaming corporation in a R.I.C.O. action asserted against it in the United States District Court. The Court granted a motion to dismiss the action with prejudice, before discovery commenced

    • While in law school, George was the Executive Articles Editor for the Chicago-Kent Law Review. He was also awarded Order of the Coif.