George Adams is one of the four founding partners of FP’s Louisville office. For more than 20 years his practice has been exclusively devoted to counseling and representing employers in matters of labor and employment law. George entered the practice of law with many years of private and public sector management experience and as a U.S. Army veteran.

George represents employers in disputes before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and other administrative agencies, as well as in labor negotiations and grievance arbitration. This includes defending employers against claims alleging sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, retaliation, violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) discrimination, wage and hour violations, and a wide range of other labor and employment claims. More importantly, George uses his years of knowledge and experience to help employers avoid such disputes in the first place through advice and counseling, management training, and drafting and enforcing practical and effective employment policies. He also helps non-union employers avoid becoming targets of union organizing, lawfully and effectively respond to union organizing activity, and defend against unfair labor practice charges.

George represents a wide variety of employers, large and small, in Kentucky and across the U.S. These include first tier suppliers to Japanese and other automobile manufacturers, specialty chemical and lubricant manufacturers, specialty food manufacturers, metal flow products manufacturers, and a variety of other manufacturers. George’s clients also include national, regional, and local industrial and commercial construction contractors, road construction contractors, and building material suppliers. He also represents employers in the gig industry, financial industry, health care industry, pharmaceutical fulfillment and management industry, and restaurant industry, and retail specialty consumer electronics industry, as well as spas, private aviation, and non-profit entities.

George is a long standing member of the ABA’s Committee on the Development of the Law Under the National Labor Relations Act and a Chapter Editor of its publication The Developing Labor. He is "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has been recognized as a Kentucky Super Lawyer for many years and repeatedly selected by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America. Best Lawyers in America has listed George as a Litigation – Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year. 

Honors & Awards

• “AV” Peer Review Rate by Martindale-Hubbell
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2013 – 2021)
• Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year
• Kentucky Super Lawyer

Professional Activities

• Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, Board of Directors
• American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
• ABA Committee on the Development of the Law under the National Labor Relations Act
• Kentucky Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
• Louisville Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
• Founding Board member, Southern Indiana Society for Human Resource Management
• Member, Society for Human Resource Management
• Chapter Editor, The Developing Labor Law
• Contributing Editor, How Arbitration Works, 6^th Ed.
• Co-author, Understanding Human Resource Issues and Personnel Law: A Guide to Kentucky and Federal Regulations, 8^th Ed.
• U.S. Army and Kentucky National Guard, Military Police, including service in Operation Desert Storm (1987-1992)

News

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• “HR Horror Stories”
  Southern Indiana SHRM
  October 11, 2017

• "HR True or False: Test Your Knowledge" - Four Rivers Society for Human Resource Management
  September 15, 2017
• "Run, Hide, Fight: Dealing with Active Shooters and Other Workplace Violence" - Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management 33^rd Annual Conference
  August 30, 2017
• "Getting What You Paid for With Your Third Party Administrator" - Kentucky Association of Manufacturers Business Briefing
  July 13, 2017
• "HR True or False: Test Your Knowledge" - Louisville Society for Human Resource Management
  October 13, 2015
• "HR True or False: Test Your Knowledge" - Four Rivers Society for Human Resource Management
  August 28, 2015 

• “2013 Indiana Employment Law Update”
  One Southern Indiana Metro Manufacturing Roundtable
  February 7, 2013

• "Rightfully Discharging When You Must: How to Handle Tricky Termination Issues" - 28th Annual Kentucky SHRM Conference
  September 2012
• "2011 Kentucky Employment Law Update" - 29th Annual Carl A. Warns, Jr., Labor and Employment Law Institute 
  June 2012
• "2012 Employment Law Seminar" - IntegrityHR 
  March 2012

Articles

• “There Are No Safe Spaces”
  The Goods – The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers membership publication (online)
  September 2017

• “See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Record No Evil: Employee Recording Laws Under the NLRA”
  Southern Indiana SHRM Newsletter
  August 2017

• “I Can’t Fire an Employee for a Nasty Facebook Post? D*mn!”
  Southern Indiana SHRM Newsletter
  May 2017

• “School City Teaches a Lesson Where Employees Pose a Direct Threat to Themselves “
  Southern Indiana SHRM Newsletter
  March 2017

• “Auto Industry Faced with New OSHA Retaliation Rule”
  Southern Indiana SHRM Newsletter
  February 2017

• “Some Simple Facts on Kentucky’s New Right to Work Law”
  Business First of Louisville (print and online)
  February 17, 2017
  Co-authored with Raymond Haley III, partner, Fisher Phillips

Legal Alerts

Newsletter Articles