George Plews has practiced for thirty years as a successful appellate and trial advocate.  He has been lead counsel on a number of critical cases that have shaped Indiana environmental and insurance coverage law and enabled recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars to fund environmental cleanups.  These cases include American States v. Kiger, 662 N.E.2d 945 (Ind. 1996); Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co. v. Dana Corp., 696 N.E.2d 285 (Ind.Ct. App. 1997); Travelers Indemnity Company v. Summit Corp., 715 N.E.2d 926 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999); and Allstate Ins. Co. v. Dana Corp., 759 N.E.2d 1049 (Ind. 2001).  George’s environmental law practice spans a range of matters, including the prosecution and defense of claims involving state and federal environmental statutes, cost recovery claims and toxic torts, as well as permitting, zoning and governmental enforcement matters.  This work has resulted in decisions establishing new principles of Indiana law, for example, the proper role of the administrative law judge as the trier of fact (Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources v. United Refuse Co., 615 N.E.2d 100 (Ind. 1992), the non-retroactivity of a hazardous waste disposal permitting statute (Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management v. Chemical Waste Management, 604 N.E.2d 1199 (Ind. Ct. App. 1992), and cost recovery for municipal brownfields projects (Cooper Industries LLC v. City of South Bend, 899 N.E.2d 1204 (Ind. 2009)).  George’s litigation practice includes a wide range of other complex cases, including products liability, financial transactions, class actions, and personal injury cases.  He represented the State of Indiana in successful litigation against the tobacco companies, and was co-counsel in bringing some of the first class actions in the country challenging banks’ incorrect handling of adjustable rate mortgages.  

In 2009, George was named a Distinguished Barrister by the Indiana Lawyer.  His yearly listing by “Best Lawyers in America” commenced in 2001 and in Indiana “Super Lawyers” in 2004.  He has received “Super Lawyers” designation in both environmental and insurance coverage law.  He has an AV peer review rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

George has authored over 50 articles, including five  published law review articles.    These include two recent surveys in the Indiana Law Review of environmental and insurance coverage law developments.  He is frequent speaker before legal, trade association & business groups, including ICLEF’s “Masters” seminar series.  A veteran of hundreds of mediations, George has taught sections of mediation and environmental law courses at the IUPUI law school. 

George received his A.B. degree, magna cum laude, in 1974 from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.  He was awarded Princeton’s Daniel M. Sachs Scholarship for two years of study at Oxford University, and  he received an Honours B.A. (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) and M.A. degrees in 1976 and 1981, respectively, from Worcester College at Oxford.  George received a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1979, where he was an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Law Review.  He became an associate at Baker & Daniels, Indianapolis in 1979 and was made a partner in 1986.  George started what is now Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP as a founding partner in 1988.

George holds or has held leadership positions with a host of organizations, including the St. Richard's School Foundation (President), Princeton University Alumni Association of Indiana (President and Schools Committee Chair), Trustee Leadership Development, Inc. (Treasurer), the Indiana Interchurch Center (Assistant Treasurer), the Indiana Civil Liberties Union (Vice President), the Indianapolis Bar Foundation (Executive Committee), Trinity Episcopal Church (two-term Senior Warden) and the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis (Chancellor).  He also serves as Chancellor of a national organization, the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes.  He has served on numerous corporate and civic boards of directors, including Novia Underwriters, Inc., Novia Care Clinics, the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Horizon’s Student Enrichment Program, the Indianapolis Rowing Center, Waycross Camp and Conference Center, Leadership Ventures, LLC, and St. Richard’s School.  He is a fellow of the Indiana and Indianapolis Bar Foundations.