George Gates Email & Phone Number

Dakula, Georgia

• Advises CEO and executive management on new laws, existing laws, and legal rights that would impact organizational mission and business operations.• Provides strategic legal advice to executive and operational management teams.• Provides executive and operational management teams with risk assessment findings, correctiveaction plans and future mitigation strategies.• Advises on the company’s decision-making process and operational scope with emphasis on expanding legal rights and mitigating risks.• Oversee legal matters of the business as a whole, including acting as the corporate legal representative.• Ensure corporate compliance with licensing regulations and industry accreditation standards. • Ensures that internal compliance programs effectively prevent or detect violation of laws, industry regulations, organization policies, or applicable codes of conduct.• Facilitate communications between executive and operational management and outside counsel.• Oversee and direct the activities of outside counsel for all litigation activities, and advocate on the company’s behalf in legal proceedings.• Craft internal legal and operational strategy to mitigate potential for litigation.• Protection of intellectual property.• Lead negotiations with outside parties concerning legal matters and advise on outside negotiations concerning operational maters.• Maintain current knowledge of HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 and other healthcare regulations that could impact the exposure to the organization.• Ensures that all contracts contain language that satisfies industry and regulatory compliance requirements.• Represent corporate interests to political entities and regulatory agencies.

Oxford, Mississippi, United States, And Papua New Guinea

• Serve as member of board of directors to provide strategic advice on risk mitigation.• Analyze regulations and create global operational strategies and HR policies that balance risk and effectiveness, adapting to local culture and laws.• Maintain working knowledge of relevant emergent changes in legislation and regulations affecting global operations.• Advise management and operational staff on the effect of ongoing and proposed activities under applicable law, regulations and Indigenous customs, including ethical implications.• Represent corporate interests to political entities and regulatory agencies. • Negotiate and draft all contracts and binding agreements including: marketing; intellectual property and confidentiality; spot and advance sales; licensing; employee and independent contractor; technical services; business development agreements with government entities, indigenous landowners and private investors; and joint venture structures. • Draft contracts and external communications to safeguard corporate and investor interests in foreign jurisdictions.• Establish multiple corporate and charitable entities in United States and Papua New Guinea to facilitate various project activities. • Prepare legal instruments and compliance documentation for submission to various government and regulatory agencies. • Maintain corporate and operational compliance with national and local regulations in the United States and Papua New Guinea.• Oversee and direct the activities of outside counsel for all litigation activities worldwide.

Oxford, Mississippi, United States, And Papua New Guinea

• Direct the work of 200+ global staff members located in the US, Australia, and Papua New Guinea.• Represent corporate interests to political entities and regulatory agencies.• Originated the seventh-largest avoided deforestation carbon offset project in the world; the first carbon offset project in Papua New Guinea with direct revenue return to Indigenous stakeholders. • Direct interaction with Climate Change Development Authority of Papua New Guinea to structure climate mitigation project activities to satisfy both host country regulatory requirements and international standards. Specific emphasis on equitable benefit sharing mechanisms and proper Free Prior Informed Consent from Indigenous stakeholders.• Engage with national political entities and regulatory agencies to advocate on policies and legislation involving climate change mitigation projects. • Collaborate with Climate Change Development Authority of Papua New Guinea in the development of the National REDD+ safeguard guidelines, which were largely developed from experience and data gained operating NIHT’s REDD+ project.• Direct engagement with provincial governors and administrative staffs of New Ireland, East New Britain, and Morobe provinces in Papua New Guinea to develop and receive approval for the first nature-based carbon offset projects in these respective provinces.• Cultivate funding for project development through direct investments, long-term future offtake agreements, pre-sale of carbon offsets, negotiated rights for advance marketing agreements and climate mitigation activity grants.

Oxford, Mississippi

Launched hospitality and property management service, providing: property management; lodging and hospitality; transportation; physical plant management and expansion; event space management; and event services on privately held resort property.

North America, Central America, South America, And Africa.

• Consulted with wildlife advocacy groups and regulatory bodies about legislative issues concerning science-based wildlife and habitat management in operational jurisdictions worldwide.• Worked directly with ownership of HAC and joint venture partners to provide strategic advice on risk mitigation.• Analyze regulations and create global operational strategies and HR policies that balance risk and effectiveness, adapting to local culture and laws.• Advised management and operational staff on the effect of ongoing and proposed activities under applicable law, regulations, and local customs, including ethical implications.• Maintain working knowledge of relevant emergent changes in legislation and regulations affecting global operations.• Negotiated and draft all contracts and binding agreements including: marketing; intellectual property and confidentiality; licensing; employee and independent contractor; technical services; business development agreements with government entities and private investors; and joint venture structures.• Draft contracts and external communications to safeguard corporate and investor interests in foreign jurisdictions.• Managed initial negotiations, commercial feasibility evaluation and contract negotiations for ventures on four continents, inducing four startup operations and assumption of business activities at three existing operations.• Successfully negotiated high-profile marketing and operational partnerships with Eddie Bauer and Beretta.• Maintained corporate and operational compliance with national and local regulations for operations in various US states and on four continents, including compliance with wildlife and employment regulations.• Oversaw and directed the activities of outside counsel for all litigation activities worldwide.

North America, Central America, South America, And Africa

• Coordinated habitat management and enhancement activities in the Patagonia and Pampas regions of Argentina; southern Zimbabwe; Kansas, South Dakota, and Georgia in the United States.• Performed on-site management for venues that HAC owned, operated, or were partnered.• Developed partnerships with global operators to deliver a portfolio of exceptional outdoor experiences.• Performed on site evaluation of prospective destinations worldwide to determine if amenities and offered experience met the exceptional standards clients expect from venues offered by HAC.

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Practiced Mass Tort silicosis litigation involving multiple products produced by three separate clients that were allegedly used by over 18,000 separate plaintiffs. Multiple cases in local venues and in Multi District Litigation proceeding 1553. Reviewed and analyzed documents disclosed by all defendants and plaintiffs for relevancy and liability assessment; motion practice including dispositive hearings; conducted depositions of lay and expert witnesses; obtained and evaluating expert information and testimony.

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Practiced all aspects of litigation, including: research and analysis of fact and legal issues; discovery practice from factual investigation through disputes and resolution; document production in mass tort and medical malpractice cases; taking and defending depositions of parties, expert witnesses, and lay witnesses; obtained and evaluating expert information and testimony; motion practice, including arguing dispositive motions; all aspects of trial preparation and actual trial proceedings, including solo argument of trials through jury verdict; preparation and argument of appellate briefs.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States

Led all aspects of discovery and disclosure; taking and defending depositions of parties and lay witnesses, motion practice; assisting with trial preparation and trial proceedings; and assisting in appellate proceedings.

Doctor Of Law - Jd

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Philosophy

Activities and Societies: Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Education record