Office: Hartford

George Kelly practices primarily in the areas of employment law, labor law and litigation. He represents management in a variety of employment matters and also has a general commercial litigation practice.

George’s employment litigation experience ranges from discrimination and wrongful discharge to employee free speech and whistleblower cases. He tries these cases in federal and state court as well as before administrative agencies.

In addition, George has litigated a number of employee restrictive covenant and trade secret cases, and is often called upon to advise employers in these situations. Another significant area of concentration has been broker dealer employment matters in the securities industry, where he has represented companies both in court and before arbitration panels.

George was a law clerk to Chief Judge T. Emmet Clarie of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. As an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, he gained five years of experience trying criminal and civil matters in court and jury trials. George subsequently joined the Law Department of Aetna Life & Casualty. There he managed a variety of litigation matters while also trying cases himself. While at Aetna, he helped develop a range of cost-effective litigation techniques as part of the company’s effort to limit the expense of litigation. Thereafter, he joined a Hartford-based management-side labor and employment law firm where he practiced for 22 years before joining ZCCDG.

Along with his professional activities, George has taken an active part in civic and community affairs. This has included active participation in a community-based mediation program. He has served as a mediator in over a hundred such cases, and has trained new mediators. This experience has enabled him to develop a good understanding of the mediation process, which he has been able to employ in representing clients in mediation and in occasionally mediating employment cases himself.

George’s broad experience has positioned him to effectively represent employers in today’s environment. His thorough knowledge of the litigation process, combined with this experience in alternative dispute resolution and litigation management, means that he can help clients develop plans to achieve the most effective and efficient resolution of each individual case.

Education:

• University of Notre Dame, A.B.
• Harvard Law School, J.D.

Bar Admissions:

• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit

Professional Associations:

• American Bar Association
• Connecticut Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Hartford County Bar Association

Community Activities:

• Adjunct Mediation Clinic, UConn School of Law, 1994-1995
• Instructor, Lawyering Process, UConn School of Law, 1996
• Commissioner, Wethersfield Housing Authority, 1995 to present; Chair, 1997 to present
• Board Member, Wethersfield Public Library, 2012 to present
• Volunteer Mediator, Hartford Community Court, Animal Welfare, 2014 to present