Profile
George E. Martin III is a partner in Baird Holm LLP’s Labor & Employment practice group. He helps public and private employers and educational institutions successfully resolve difficult legal challenges (including, but not limited to, claims of discrimination, breach of contract, personal injury, workplace injury, and other statutory and common law claims). He is experienced in handling all phases of litigation, from the temporary restraining order/injunction phase through trial and appeal. He has argued numerous times before the Nebraska Appeals Court, the Nebraska Supreme Court, and the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on a broad variety of topics.
He has effectively defended a number of the state’s actors, county governments, and municipalities against a variety of unique legal challenges, including First and Fourteenth Amendment lawsuits, claims arising under Nebraska’s Declaratory Judgments Act, claims arising under Nebraska’s Uniform Arbitration Act, taxpayer standing challenges, writs of mandamus, and suits arising under other federal and state statutes. He proactively advises public entities on intergovernmental and employee relations.
George also has significant experience representing employers in labor disputes arising under the National Labor Relations Act and its state counterparts, and in disputes arising under collectively bargained agreements. He has represented employers across the country in labor-related arbitration proceedings and related civil actions.
Given his litigation experience, George regularly provides workplace training aimed at empowering employers with practical, real-world strategies for positively managing their workforces and avoiding legal challenges.
Since June 1, 2023, George has served as the Chair of Baird Holm’s Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Law practice group. From 2017 through May 2023, George served as the Chair of Baird Holm’s Labor Law Forum.
Since 2019, George has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America® for Labor and Employment Litigation and Employment Law Management. He has also been named in Great Plains Super Lawyers in the practice area of Labor and Employment.
While attending law school, George served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Jeffre Cheuvront of Nebraska’s Lancaster County District Court.
Areas of Practice
Education
- University of Nebraska College of Law, J.D., with distinction, 1999
- University of Nebraska at Lincoln, B.A., 1996
Bar & Court Admissions
- Nebraska, 1999
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 2000
- U.S. District Court District of Nebraska, 1999
Professional & Civic Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Nebraska State Bar Association
- Omaha Bar Association
- Nebraska State Bar Association, Labor, Employment and Workers’ Compensation Section
- Omaha Metropolitan Community College Foundation (2005 – 2011)
Selected Practice Highlights
- Securing the pretrial dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Nebraska taxpayers who alleged that several public entities spent tax revenues in violation of federal law
- Defending a rural Nebraska county’s board of trustees in a lawsuit over whether the board unlawfully refuted to approve an elected official’s proposed budget. The Nebraska Supreme Court’s decision in the case led to the Legislature’s reformation of the state’s county budgeting laws in 2011
- Securing the pretrial dismissal of a federal lawsuit filed by a former public employee who alleged disability discrimination and violations of his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights
- Successfully defending a Fortune 50 company in a federal civil trial over whether it maintained a faulty public entryway
- Prevailing in many trials before Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court involving high-exposure claims for workers’ compensation benefits, saving clients millions of dollars in benefits
- Securing the pretrial dismissal of many state and federal discrimination lawsuits, saving clients significant attorneys’ fees and court costs
- Arguing appeals concerning a broad variety of legal issues before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Nebraska Appeals Court, and the Nebraska Supreme Court
- Obtaining “no reasonable cause” determinations in dozens of administrative charges of discrimination across the United States
- Successfully representing businesses in multiple trials before federal, state, and workers’ compensation courts
