George C. Lepeniotis

George Lepeniotis serves as the firm’s Executive Partner of the North Central Indiana Regional Office. He is a member of the firm’s Business Practice and the Commercial Real Estate Lending Practice. He concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and lending, real estate, construction and contracts law. George also has significant experience in litigation and trial work. George helps corporate, municipal, institutional, banking and health care clients navigate a variety of legal matters and transactions.

In addition to his work at the firm, George is co-host of WNIT’s Economic Outlook where he travels throughout the Michiana area to bring viewers news, stories and insights on topics shaping the regions economy. George is also a member of the Board for the Bridgman Foundation for Economic Excellence and on the Advisory Board for the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining Krieg DeVault, George was a partner at a small litigation firm in South Bend. He was also a general contractor and real estate developer.

Representative Experience

• Served as counsel in the transition of numerous medical and dental facilities
• Served as counsel in numerous commercial real estate transactions involving zoning, assessment, title, environmental and government incentives issues 
• Served as counsel in the sale, transfer and merger of multiple small to mid-sized closely held corporations
• Advised corporate clients on various business and legal matters including contracts, administrative law, regulatory procedures and employment law matters
• Participated in over 20 bench and jury trials in both first and second chair with exceedingly favorable verdicts on client’s behalf
• Litigation practice experience includes discovery, motion practice, trials, alternative dispute resolution, complex corporate negotiations, appellate work, legal research and writing, and pre-trial preparation
• Represents corporate, individual, institutional, and municipal clients in both Indiana and Michigan

Professional Associations

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Indiana State Bar Association
• Member, St. Joseph County Bar Association
• Board of Directors and Member, Robert A. Grant American Inn of Court
• Member, State Bar of Michigan
• Member, Berrien County Bar Association

Awards & Recognitions

• Indiana Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2023

Seminars & Presentations

• Host, "The Indiana State Legislature and Current Issues Important to Hoosiers with Indiana Senator Rod Bray," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, November 7, 2023
• Host, "Unraveling the Corporate Transparency Act," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, October 24, 2023
• Host, "Arbitration 101: An Alternative to Litigation," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, July 11, 2023
• Host, "2023 Deal Landscape: Sellers, Financing and Earnouts," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, July 11, 2023
• Host, "Are We in a Banking Crisis? What the Silicon Valley and Signature Banks’ Failure Tell Us About the Future of Financial Institutions", Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, April 13, 2023
• Host, "The Deal Within the Deal - Internal Dynamics Among Multiple Seller Owners in an M&A Transaction," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, April 13, 2023
• Host, "CMS's Proposed Government Overpayment Rule Is Sure to Make You Sleep Less," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, February 8, 2023
• Host, "FTC Proposed Rule Would Essentially Ban Non-Compete Agreements," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, February 8, 2023
• Host, "Legislative Preview: A Look Into Indiana's 2023 Legislative Session," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, January 5, 2023
• Host, "Choosing the Right Entity for Real Estate Holdings," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, November 15, 2022
• Host, "APRA Records Requests: What must be disclosed? What can be withheld? Are there time limits for the government’s response and document production?" Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, July 27, 2022
• Host, "Supreme Court Decision in City of Austin V. Reagan National and Its Impact on Cases Challenging Municipal Sign Ordinances," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, June 8, 2022
• Host, "Estate Planning for Young Professionals and Families," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, May 4, 2022
• Host, "2022 Deal Landscape: Current Mergers & Acquisitions Market Trends," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, March 31, 2022
• Host, "An Overview of the firm's Public Finance and Municipal Practice," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, February 25, 2022
• Host, "What is an ESOP?," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, January 24, 2022
• Host, "Tribal Law in the State of Indiana," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, November 23, 2021
• Host, "LIBOR Defined: An Explanation of LIBOR and What Its Exit Means to the Financial Industry," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, November 22, 2021
• Host, "Overview of New Federal COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Employers," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, November 17, 2021
• Host, "Into the Unknown: A look Into the Uncertain Future of New Surprise Billing Laws," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, August 21, 2021
• Host, "Biden Administration Issues Executive Order on Promoting Competition," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, July 21, 2021
• Host, "COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates in the Workplace," Krieg DeVault Podcast Series, June 21, 2021
• Groves, J., Leichty, D., Lepeniotis, G. The Form Objection During Depositions. Robert A. Grant American Inn of Court Quarterly Meeting. South Bend, IN, USA, 2015.
• Lepeniotis, G. Issues in Dental & Medical Facilities Liabilities. Patterson Dental Regional Sales Meeting. South Bend, IN, USA, 2015.
• Polando, G., Lepeniotis, G., McKeever, J., Can and Should a Successful Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claim Lead to Attorney Discipline? Robert A. Grant American Inn of Court Quarterly Meeting. South Bend, IN, USA, 2016.
• Lepeniotis, G., Moderator – State Court Magistrate Judges Panel. Robert A. Grant American Inn of Court Quarterly Meeting.

Publications

• Co-Author, "Tips for Negotiating Supply Agreement Terms and Conditions in an Uncertain World," September 27, 2023
• Co-Author, "Three Minute Update - Positioning for the Future: Non-Profits and Real Estate," January 10, 2023
• Lepeniotis, G. (2019) The Sanctity of the Hoosier Paycheck, Historical Context and Practical Pointers to Evaluate Unpaid Wage Claims. Indiana Lawyer: DTCI Section Volume 30, No. 1 2019.
• Lepeniotis, G. (2015) Intentional Acts and the Limits of a Liability Carrier’s Duty to Defend. DTCI: Indiana Civil Litigation Review. Volume 12, 2015.

Certifications

• Legal Lean Sigma® White Belt

Education

• J.D., Chicago Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, 2013
• B.A. in English, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, 1995

Bar & Court Admissions

• Indiana (2013)
• Michigan (2017)
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit

Practices

• Business Services
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Real Estate Services
• Privately and Closely-Held Businesses
• Commercial and Real Estate Lending
• Public and Municipal Finance

Industries

• Real Estate
• Construction
• Financial Institutions
• Health Care