George M Fleming

George Fleming is a native Texan who received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin. He began his law career in 1971 as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, representing the United States in major trial cases. George subsequently returned to Texas and became a partner in an Austin law firm.

In 1981, he moved to Houston to start his own practice, focusing on aviation disasters, products liability and plaintiff’s personal injury. In 1981, he founded the firm that has become Fleming | Nolen | Jez, L.L.P., where he established his reputation in mass tort and consumer litigation cases. George was the lead trial attorney in a number of landmark cases, including when he was with the AAJ Leaders ForumU.S. Department of Justice: Stencel Aero v. U.S, 434 U.S. 882 (1977), and Miree v. Dekalb County, Georgia, 433 U.S. 25 (1977); and including representing plaintiffs in: Amstadt v. U.S. Brass Corp., 919 S.W.2d 644 (Tex. S.Ct. 1996); In Re: Polybutylene Plumbing Litigation, 23 S.W.3d 428 (Tex.App.-Hous. [1st Dist.] 2000); and Mathis, et al. v. Exxon Corporation, 302 F.3d 448 (5th Cir. 2002).

George is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals: Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh, and District of Columbia Circuits; U.S. District Courts: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and District of Columbia; and the Texas Supreme Court. His legal memberships include the State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, and the American Association for Justice. George is widely published, with articles appearing in a number of major legal journals. He is also a frequent speaker on emerging trial techniques and trends, mass tort litigation, and class action litigation.

• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western District of Texas and the District of Columbia
• Texas Supreme Court

University of Texas at Austin

• Bachelor of Business Administration – 1968
• Juris Doctor – 1971

• Lieutenant U.S. Army – 1971-1972
• U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Torts Section – 1972-1976
• Partner in an Austin, Texas law firm – 1976-1981
•  Fleming, Nolen & Jez, L.L.P. and its predecessors – 1981- present

• America’s 50 Most Influential Lawyers – Trial Lawyers Roundtable 2016
• America’s 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyers – Trial Lawyers Roundtable
• One of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers of The National Trial Lawyers Association 2011-2015
• Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® in 2014, published by Million Dollar Advocates Forum, LLC
• Who’s Who in American Law, a Marquis Who’s Who® publication 2008-2014
• Texas Top Rated Lawyers, published by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®; Peer Review Rated AV Preeminent®
• Texas Super Lawyers® 2003-2019
• Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum

• Association of American Trial Lawyers
• University of Texas Law School Foundation Board
• University of Texas System Chancellor’s Council executive membership
• University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Development Board
• University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Board
• Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Houston, Board of Trustees
• Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors

• In Re: Polybutylene Plumbing Litigation – represented 60,000 people in individual actions and a class of 6 million; was the only lawyer to try the case; tried the case 8 times over 15 months of trial time; over 10,000 depositions; 16 appeals; court-appointed auditor found $22 million in client-reimbursable expenses; settlement close to $2 billion after 10 years of work.
• In Re: Diet Drugs Products Liability Litigation – conducted an echocardiogram program pursuant to MDL Court directive of over 40,000 individuals to identify over 8,000 “FDA positive” individuals; represented those over 8,000 individuals in the litigation; over 12,000 depositions; 27 trials conducted by FNJ attorneys with half as Mr. Fleming as lead trial counsel; spent over $38 million in client-reimbursable expenses and another $32 million in overhead expenses; after 10 years, Fen-Phen I and II settled for approximately $1 billion.

• In Re: Polybutylene Plumbing Litigation – represented 60,000 people in individual actions and a class of 6 million; was the only lawyer to try the case; tried the case 8 times over 15 months of trial time; over 10,000 depositions; 16 appeals; court-appointed auditor found $22 million in client-reimbursable expenses; settlement close to $2 billion after 10 years of work.
• In Re: Diet Drugs Products Liability Litigation – conducted an echocardiogram program pursuant to MDL Court directive of over 40,000 individuals to identify over 8,000 “FDA positive” individuals; represented those over 8,000 individuals in the litigation; over 12,000 depositions; 27 trials conducted by FNJ attorneys with half as Mr. Fleming as lead trial counsel; spent over $38 million in client-reimbursable expenses and another $32 million in overhead expenses; after 10 years, Fen-Phen I and II settled for approximately $1 billion.

Speaking Engagements to Professional Associations on Mass Torts Include

• American Bar Association annual meeting
• American Association of Justice
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association
• Mealey’s seminars
• Harris Martin seminars

• MDL Practice: Avoiding the Black Hole; South Texas Law Review; Vol. 46 No. 1, Fall 2014

Articles on Mr. Fleming’s Work Have Been Written Up In

• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• Forbes
• The Associated Press
• United Press International
• Houston Chronicle