Ellis George LLP

What Ellis George LLP does

Ellis George LLP is a privately-held California Limited Liability Partnership founded in 1985 that operates as a litigation boutique specializing in high-stakes trial and appellate work. The firm maintains four U.S. offices — Century City in Los Angeles (headquarters), Carnegie Hall Tower in New York, 44 Montgomery Street in San Francisco, and Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. — and lists 36 attorneys across its roster. Practice coverage spans complex commercial disputes, intellectual property litigation, class-action defense, entertainment and defamation matters, white-collar criminal defense, professional liability, real estate, data privacy, internal investigations, and appellate advocacy in federal and state courts, arbitrations, mediations, and administrative tribunals.

The firm's differentiator is the seniority and government pedigree of its bench, which includes a former U.S. Senator and California Governor (Pete Wilson, Of Counsel), multiple former senior Department of Justice officials, a former Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee (Eric M. George), an 18-year federal prosecutor (Mona Sedky), and former Supreme Court and federal appellate law clerks (including a clerk to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor). Recent case outcomes include an 8-1 U.S. Supreme Court victory in Havana Docks Corp. v. Royal Caribbean Cruises, a $2.8 billion judgment in New World TMT Limited v. PrediWave Corporation, and a $34.9 million jury verdict in a trademark infringement case.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services based: fees are quoted per matter, negotiated individually, and not publicly disclosed. The firm acquires clients primarily through reputational referrals, professional networks, and demonstrated courtroom outcomes rather than outbound sales, supported by an external recognition flywheel (Chambers USA, Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators, Best Lawyers in America, Daily Journal Top 100, Forbes). In addition to direct representation, the firm operates a Trial Academy — a structured attorney-training program with sub-courses in Advanced Trial Skills, High-Level Cross Examination, and Mastering Depositions — that extends the brand into legal education, and maintains a cross-referral relationship with Wilson Walsh Consulting (Pete Wilson's political-consulting firm).

Name

Ellis George LLP

Legal name

Ellis George LLP

Website

https://ellisgeorge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ellis George LLP is a privately-held California litigation boutique founded in 1985 with four U.S. offices and approximately 36 attorneys, specializing in high-stakes commercial, intellectual property, appellate, and white-collar trial work for Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and individual clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Commercial litigation services
• Trial advocacy
• Appellate litigation
• Intellectual property litigation
• White collar defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Litigation and Trial Representation: Ellis George LLP generates revenue through legal representation fees for complex commercial litigation, trial advocacy, appellate work, and related legal services. The firm represents clients in federal and state courts, arbitrations, mediations, and administrative tribunals, serving both plaintiffs and defendants across various industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ellis George LLP is a litigation boutique that represents clients in complex commercial disputes, intellectual property matters, class actions, entertainment law, white-collar criminal defense, appellate work, and regulatory matters in federal and state courts, arbitrations, mediations, and administrative tribunals. The firm also operates a Trial Academy that provides paid training programs in advanced trial skills, cross-examination, and depositions to outside attorneys.

Product overview

Ellis George LLP is a law firm offering comprehensive trial litigation services. The firm's core offering is legal representation in business disputes and complex litigation matters. The Trial Academy is a supplementary professional development program that includes three sub-programs (Advanced Trial Skills, The Keys to High-Level Cross Examination, and Mastering Depositions) designed to train attorneys in trial advocacy skills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Litigation and Trial Representation Services Comprehensive litigation services for clients facing high-stakes commercial disputes, including business disputes, intellectual property, entertainment law, class actions, defamation, false advertising, professional liability, real estate, white collar criminal defense, data privacy and cybersecurity, internal corporate investigations, and employment matters.
• Trial Academy Professional training program dedicated to developing new trial lawyers and the next generation of trial lawyers on the West Coast, comprising three sub-programs: Advanced Trial Skills, The Keys to High-Level Cross Examination, and Mastering Depositions. Created and directed by Partner Chris Arledge.

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured victory in landmark U.S. Supreme Court case - Havana Docks Corp. v. Royal Caribbean Cruises - 8-1 decision reversing $100+ million judgments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wilson Walsh ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPete Wilson, former Governor of California and U.S. Senator, serves as Of Counsel to Ellis George LLP and is also a Principal at Wilson Walsh Consulting. This relationship strengthens the firm's services by expanding its reach and experience nationally and internationally, particularly where business and governmental interests intertwine.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Latham & Watkins: Global AmLaw leader with a premier litigation department; two Ellis George attorneys came from Latham (Managing Partner Keith Wesley was a Latham associate and Jared Forbus was a Latham litigation associate), making it a key competitor and talent source.
• King & Spalding: AmLaw 100 firm with a strong trial and appellate practice and deep government investigations bench; comparable overlap in bet-the-company commercial litigation and white-collar defense matters.
• Paul Hastings: AmLaw 100 firm with strong commercial litigation and white-collar practices; James Bliss joined Ellis George from Paul Hastings after 27 years as partner, illustrating direct lateral competition for talent.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Largest AmLaw firm by revenue with a deep litigation practice and significant bet-the-company work; represents the broader full-service competitive set Ellis George faces on premium mandates.
• Sidley Austin: Global AmLaw firm with a renowned Supreme Court and appellate practice; Richard Klingler joined Ellis George from Sidley Austin after more than two decades, making it a direct talent and mandate competitor.
• Gibson Dunn: AmLaw global incumbent with one of the most active commercial litigation and appellate practices; Ellis George competes for the same Fortune 500 mandates but operates without Gibson Dunn's full-service scale and global offices.

Direct peers

• Susman Godfrey: Elite trial boutique known for record-setting verdicts and commercial litigation for major corporations. Closely comparable to Ellis George in scale, trial-first orientation, and Fortune 500 bet-the-company positioning.
• Bartlit Beck: Top-tier trial boutique focused on bet-the-company commercial litigation with a similarly small, elite partner bench. Strong comparable on talent density and Fortune 500 client profile.
• Boies Schiller Flexner: High-stakes litigation firm with a similar mix of commercial disputes, appellate work, and white-collar defense for sophisticated corporate and individual clients. Comparable in prestige, scope of matters, and growth strategy.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: The preeminent U.S. litigation boutique with a similar bet-the-company, trial-first model serving Fortune 500 clients across commercial disputes, IP, and appellate work. Directly comparable in business model, target clients, and high-stakes mandate profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ellisgeorge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ellis George LLP