George C. McKinnis is a retired lawyer who has concentrated in the legal, financial, intellectual property and international trade issues of emerging technology companies.

Mr. McKinnis has aided in multiple startups as a lawyer and in some cases as a principal.  He has been a member of multiple technology company boards, including a successful Canadian public company.  Due to his long career in technology, Mr. McKinnis has access to a wide network of technology and related business experts.      

Before establishing his own law offices, Mr. McKinnis was a senior ITT Head¬quarters attorney responsible for domestic and overseas telecommunications, electronics and computer industries and was General Counsel of ITT’s Telecommunications Research and Development Laboratories. Before joining ITT, he was a Vice President and General Counsel of an overseas merchant bank and was train¬ed in corporate and financial matters by a leading New York City law firm.    

Practice History

MCKINNIS LAW OFFICES 2001 - 2016
Mr. McKinnis retired from the commercial practice of law on August 31, 2016.  His past private practice had offices in New York and Connecticut for the support of high-technology issues and emerging technology companies.  He has had a significant relationship to the following companies:

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPANY 1987 - 2014
Corporate Counsel from startup in 1987 of a telecommunications and data communications semiconductor solutions company including an IPO, two secondary offerings and multiple acquisitions and divestments.  On a temporary basis managed the company’s human resources and operations departments.

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DESIGN AND PRODUCTION 2010 - 2016
Outside General Counsel and Co-Founder of an equipment design and sales startup for the cable industry.

RFID Equipment Company 2002 - 2010
Director of and special counsel to a Canadian public corporation that concentrated in RFID products from its acquisition through its divestment.  Mr. McKinnis was Chair of the Governance Committee of the Board.  

LEGAL SERVICES COMPANY 2004 - 2006
Outside General Counsel of a legal services company through its acquisition.

VLSI FABRICATION PROCESS DEVELOPMENT FOR FIBER OPTICS 2003 - 2005
Outside General Counsel and co-founder of a startup through merger into a public Canadian company.
 
SS7 SW COMPANY 1995 - 1997
Outside General Counsel of an SS7 software company through its acquisition, which he negotiated and closed.  This company’s software was middleware for central office switches sold to telecommunications operating companies.

Employment History

ITT CORPORATION 1973 – 1987

• Senior headquarters lawyer for telecommunications, electronics, computer systems and software; project manager for an R&D project to develop products for automating businesses.
• General Counsel of ITT’s central R&D laboratories and lead counsel for the ITT Technical Department.
• General Counsel of VLSI fabrication center, from construction and purchase of processing equipment through production and transfer of Unit to ITT Europe.
• Responsible for legal matters for Latin American telecommunications sales and factory operations.

DELTEC BANKING CORPORATION LTD. 1971 – 1973
Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of a mid-Atlantic merchant bank. Negotiated and documented merchant banking fundings of overseas companies and the placing of investments for the account of the bank's owners as an officer of the bank with worldwide jurisdiction.

CHADBOURNE & PARKE 1969 – 1971

CHAMBERLIN & JUBE 1967 - 1969
Associate attorney with New York City law firms. Member of Chadbourne’s Corporate Finance Department that did public and private offerings.  

SWANSON, MIDGLEY, JONES, BLACKMAR AND EAGER 1965 – 1967
Associate attorney with Kansas City, MO law firm. 

Education

University of Oklahoma, BA
University of Michigan Law School, JD
Parker School of Comparative and International Law, Columbia Law School
Summer Program of Instruction for Lawyers, Harvard Law School

Professional Memberships and Activities

New York City Bar Association
New York and Westchester Magistrates Associations
Former President of Westchester Magistrates Association
American Bar Association
Formerly licensed to practice in Missouri, New York and Connecticut

Personal Information

George McKinnis and his wife have lived in Bronxville, NY for 40 years.
He has performed various community and public services, including:
Membership in the Bronxville Zoning Board of Appeals,
Bronxville Village Counsel (pro bono) for three mayoral administrations,
President of the Bronxville Beautification Council for nine years
President of the Bronxville Rotary Club two times and a Director thereof.
Rotary District Assistant Governor, Counsel, Parliamentarian and Secretary.  

He is and has been a Bronxville Court Justice for over 20 years and in that capacity has instituted restorative justice substitutes for incarceration in Westchester County.

He is a member of the University Club of New York City and the Bronxville Field Club,     and was honorably discharged from the Army of the United States as an Infantry Captain.