George A. Gaitas was born and raised in Greece by a seafaring family, originating in the island of Andros, but also has roots in Zakynthos and Crete. He received all of his higher education in the United States where he was first licensed to practice law (in Kansas). Later on the allure of the sea brought him to Tulane University in New Orleans where he studied maritime law and earned his L.L.M. After some years with a traditional maritime law firm in New Orleans, George returned to Greece and joined a privately-owned shipping group as general counsel where he worked in all areas of the business in both the dry cargo and tanker sectors, accumulating considerable hands-on shipping experience. As in-house counsel, George handled arbitration and litigation in many jurisdictions and tribunals worldwide.

In recent years George headed the office of a well-known maritime law firm in Houston. There, he carried on a nation-wide and international practice concentrated on complex maritime litigation aimed at the recovery of substantial unpaid receivables from debtors’ ring-fenced assets despite their intricate corporate structures and fraudulent restructurings to avoid creditors.