George C. Morrison

How George Helps Clients

George is an experienced Labor & Employment attorney, focusing his practice on civil rights and higher education matters. George frequently counsels colleges and universities on Title IX investigations, faculty and student procedural due process rights, senior administration employment contracts (including complex negotiations involving president contracts), service contracts, intellectual property policies, document retention policies and compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws. George regularly leads anti-sexual harassment and other trainings to assist colleges and universities in developing an inclusive campus environment for students, faculty and staff. George is also sought after for Title IX investigations and proceedings, as he is a Level 3 Civil Rights Investigator and Hearing Officer.

George’s employment law practice also includes proactive counseling to companies of all sizes in traditional employment matters. He regularly counsels organizations operating in the reinsurance, healthcare and hospitality industries on wage and hour class and collective actions, predictive scheduling laws (also referred to as secure scheduling or fair workweek laws), multiple jurisdiction litigation involving federal, state and local employment laws, due diligence involving stock sales and mergers, covenants, non-compete agreements, personnel policies and layoffs. Additionally, he represents clients in response to investigations, citations and claims under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), which are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and defends clients in OSHA-related administrative proceedings and litigation in federal and state courts.

Prior to joining private practice, George was a judicial clerk to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and also served as a judicial clerk to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

What Clients Can Expect

Clients can expect George to engrain himself into their organization. He enjoys learning about the inner workings of each client he represents, down to educating himself on the intricate day-to-day operations of the business. He often works with clients from the time there is an initial complaint, through discovery, and if necessary, trial. George especially enjoys when clients involve him during the early stages of a matter so that they can work together to develop a tailored strategy aimed at avoiding litigation.

Employee issues present unique challenges beyond managing legal risk, often raising other practical considerations that impact a client’s operations and workplace culture. I strive to assist clients to find practical solutions to workplace challenges, avoid litigation, but if necessary, fiercely protect and defend their interests through trial.

Outside the Office

George is passionate in his support of the community. He is Co-Founder and Vice President of the Eastern Pennsylvania-New Jersey chapter of Folds of Honor and volunteers a lot of his time to provide educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service-members. He also sits on the advisory board to the Jay Sidhu School of Business and Leadership at Wilkes University. As a private pilot, when he isn’t working or volunteering, you can find George traveling around the country, or playing a relaxing game of fetch with his dogs at a local park.

Awards & Recognitions

George has been recognized as a Pennsylvania “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers since 2012.

Proof Points

• Defended large national retailer against class action claims under Philadelphia Fair Workweek Law.
• Represented large national grocery store chain in agency audit under Philadelphia Fair Workweek Law.
• Defended major university in Pennsylvania Department of Education investigation.
• Defended university in U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights investigation.
• Defended large coffee chain against class action claims under New York City Fair Workweek Law.
• Enforced arbitration agreement in FLSA matter which was challenged pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Morgan v. Sundance, Inc. This result limits the decision in Morgan regarding when an employer waives its right to compel arbitration and it mitigated risk of over $3M.
• Defended major university during a two-week, high-profile trial against whistleblower with defamation claims related to sexual abuse allegations tied to its football program.
• Enforced arbitration agreement in wage and hour collective and class action matter mitigating risk of over $1.5M. 
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal for university hospital action arising under the ADA and FMLA and Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmance of the judgment. Saved over $150K, and negated the need for an extensive trial, mitigating risk of over $500K.
• Obtained summary judgment in a national origin and age discrimination case for a well-known higher education institution, that was affirmed by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Mitigated risk of over $1M.
• Represented a resale and e-commerce site in a $250M sale to a publicly-traded global technology platform for a luxury fashion company.