George Riley

1957 - 2016

George A. Riley

George A. Riley of San Francisco, California, formerly of Memphis, Tennessee, age 59, died on June 8, 2016, after a determined and courageous fourteen-month battle with leukemia. He will be deeply missed by his sister, Peggy Thomson (Tim) of Germantown, Tennessee; his brother, John Riley (Maryellen) of Arlington Heights, Illinois; and his six nieces and nephews. George was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Frances Riley and Dr. George A. Riley, both physicians in Memphis for many years.

George was born on March 9, 1957, and grew up in Memphis. In 1975, he graduated from Whitehaven High School, where he was an active student leader for civil rights causes—a commitment to justice and public service he maintained throughout his life. George attributed that commitment to his chance meeting, as a young boy, with civil rights activist James Meredith shortly before Meredith was shot on June 6, 1966, while marching from Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi.

In 1979, George graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and began working with consumer advocate Ralph Nader. During that time, George and Carl J. Mayer co-authored the book Public Domain, Private Dominion: A History of Public Mineral Policy in America, about land use regulation by the Department of the Interior. In 1983, George graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was instrumental in establishing the Harvard Fellowship in Public Interest Law.

After law school, George returned to Memphis to clerk for the Honorable Judge Bailey Brown (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit). In the mid-1980's, George moved to San Francisco, where he became special assistant to the San Francisco City Attorney and handled many of the city's most significant cases, including an action to open a local social club's membership to women and minorities.

In 1993, George joined the San Francisco office of O'Melveny & Myers, an international law firm, becoming a prominent partner and one of the country's top intellectual property litigators. Known for his inexhaustible preparation and his eloquence in the courtroom, George was an invaluable global advisor to many iconic companies, including Apple, Samsung and Tesla. He shared an extremely special bond with Apple founder Steve Jobs and his family. George's high-profile clientele never diminished his commitment to the less fortunate. He donated hundreds of hours working with the Mississippi Center for Justice to help individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina and others who faced seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Throughout his life, George's love of running fueled his participation in countless long-distance races, creating many lasting friendships along the way. A cherished friend to so many, George always carved out time in his demanding schedule to counsel them on personal matters and share his passions for classical and sacred music, literature and Civil War history.

Despite traveling the world, George's humility and Southern grace never waned. He returned to Memphis every February to run his favorite race, the Mike Cody Four Mile Classic, benefiting Rhodes College. George's premature passing is a tremendous loss to all who knew him. He defined generosity in mind, body and soul.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 25, at 1 p.m. in the auditorium at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (1934 Poplar Avenue) with a reception to follow. Burial will be private. Memorial donations may be made to the Mississippi Center for Justice at mscenterforjustice.org.