George H. Pretty, II

George H. Pretty, II

Partner, Parker Poe, Raleigh, NC, US

For more than 30 years, George Pretty has advised domestic and foreign corporations in a broad range of business transactions, including inbound and outbound acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, recapitalizations and reorganizations.

Mr. Pretty directs Parker Poe Tax Group’s Tax Credits and Incentives Team. Since 2008, Parker Poe has been involved with multiple projects with capital investments of over $3.7 billion and more than 8,200 jobs throughout the U.S., Mexico, European Union and Eastern Europe.

Mr. Pretty has vast experience advising corporations in connection with domestic and foreign capital business expansions and relocation strategies for headquarters and manufacturing operations. He interacts closely with clients to assess, counsel and manage the legal and government relations aspects of site selection and incentives, plant relocations, expansions, consolidations and closings.

In addition, Mr. Pretty serves as outside counsel to foreign and domestic entities and supports numerous in-house counsels in the automotive, chemical, electronics, pharmaceutical, industrial machinery, advanced manufacturing and defense sectors. His representation of firm clients involves general corporate law, commercial transactions, access to capital markets and infrastructure project development across the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Asia.

Experience Highlights

  • Represented numerous foreign and domestic companies in connection with their capital deployment strategies in North America.
  • Represented a foreign automotive OEM in the relocation of its U.S. corporate headquarters.
  • Represented a foreign nuclear engineering company in the relocation of its U.S. corporate headquarters.
  • Represented a domestic publicly traded company in connection with its capital redeployment needs, resulting in manufacturing operations consolidation in the U.S., expansion into Mexico and Eastern Europe, negotiation of tax credits, incentives and retention incentives.
  • Represented a foreign publicly traded company with all aspects of the establishment of new manufacturing operations in the U.S. and Mexico.
  • Represented a foreign publicly traded strategic buyer in a series of asset purchase transactions involving assets in Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
  • Represented a foreign publicly traded strategic buyer in the acquisition of environmentally-challenged utility assets.
  • Represented the shareholders of a privately held regional insurance brokerage company in the sale of stock to a multinational banking company.
  • Represented a foreign publicly traded strategic buyer in the acquisition of technology assets from a multinational chemical company.

Memberships

  • North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Tax Committee
  • South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Tax Committee
  • Thomson Reuters, Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives , Editorial Board, 2013-present
  • Strafford Publications, Tax Incentives Alert Editorial Advisory Board, 2010-2012
  • Institute for Professionals in Taxation, Affiliate
  • Industrial Asset Management Council

Publications

  • Co-author, “The Federal Enclave Doctrine - Property Tax Exclusion Based on Constitutional Principles”, Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives, September 2014
  • Co-author, “State Enacts Tax Simplification and Reduction Act; How Will It Impact Business Growth?”, Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives , November/December 2013
  • Co-author, “Business Incentive Advisors & Site Selectors as Accidental Lobbyists: A Case for Monitoring Your Status,” Tax Report , May 2012
  • Author, ”Regional Competition Boosts Economy,” Charlotte Business Journal , August 31, 2007
    Events & Speaking Engagements
  • What It Takes to Land Today’s Best FDI Projects: Lessons from Industry Leaders, Moderator, Area Development Magazine’s Consultants Forum: Best Practices for Economic Developers, The FDI Forum, Atlanta, GA, April 2015
  • The C-Suite Session, Moderator and FDI Session Panelist, Mississippi Economic Development Council Annual Conference, January 2015
  • Government’s Role in Attracting Manufacturing Projects, Florida Economic Development Council,  2014 Council
  • Birmingham’s Inward Investment Performance, Site Selection Panelist, European Trade Study Group Conference 2013, Birmingham, England, September 2013