George Kirklin


“A trial lawyer should try to know more about the case and about the subject matter than anybody else in the courtroom.”
George Kirklin has tried more than 300 civil jury cases in Oregon, Washington and California since beginning practice in 1962. With 49 years of trial experience, George is an honored master of his craft. Since 1993, George has been frequently called upon to speak, teach and contribute to trial advocacy continuing education programs in Oregon and Nevada.

Biography

George’s degrees in mathematics and science have helped him try cases in such diverse fields as business torts, securities law, personal injury, lender liability, finance, anti-trust, accounting and auditing standards, contracts, neuropsychology, patents, failure analysis, defamation, taxation and employment law.

George says, “We specialize in the ability to try a case. That’s what good trial lawyers do. A good trial lawyer can try any case you present him with.” While George’s trial preparation is complex, his methods are simple: Find everything, learn everything, analyze everything, and then stake out an unassailable position.

George particularly looks for cases that involve technical subject matter and expert witnesses on both sides. His presentation “Out-Experting the Expert Witness” demonstrates his courtroom methods. In one professional journal an expert witness described his experience with George as trial by fire: “I was subjected by the defendant’s attorney to a very fierce, astute and highly sophisticated grilling of 7 hours per day for three successive days….at the end…I felt I had been called upon to utilize almost everything I had learned (and much I unfortunately had not) in four years of graduate school plus 35 years of work. Furthermore, I felt that the grilling, for the most part, was fair.”

George grew up in the Northeastern Oregon community of Baker, where his father was the high school band director and George played trumpet. He still meets his brothers there every year for a family reunion, and keeps in touch with his high school classmates.

“We look forward to going to court. We like to try cases.”

Professional Recognition and Activities

  • Martindale Hubbell Rated AV Preeminent 5.0 of 5.0
  • 17 Years as a Best Lawyer in America 1993-2010
  • Oregon Super Lawyer in Business Litigation since 2006
  • Member Oregon Board of Bar Examiners 1976-1979, Chair 1978-1979
  • Emeritus member National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
  • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers since 1986
  • Fellow, International Society of Barristers since 1976

Admitted to Practice

  • Oregon State Bar
  • U.S. District Court of Oregon
  • U.S. District Court of California, Northern District
  • U.S. District Court of Washington, Western District
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Claims Court