George Fatheree
Bruce’s Beach Trailblazing Attorney & Social Impact Entrepreneur
George Fatheree
Bruce’s Beach Trailblazing Attorney & Social Impact Entrepreneur
Biography
George Fatheree is a Fintech founder, social impact entrepreneur, trailblazing attorney, engaging public speaker and subject matter expert. George currently serves as the Founder and CEO of ORO Impact, a social impact Fintech venture dedicated to closing the wealth gap by revolutionizing access to down payment assistance to dramatically increase home ownership. As a former law firm partner, George is a legal trailblazer. Featured in countless media outlets, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Reuters and National Geographic, George is most notably recognized for securing the landmark return of the Bruce’s Beach property—marking the first time in U.S. history that the government has returned property taken by racially motivated eminent domain. George advised The J. Paul Getty Trust and the Ford, MacArthur and Mellon Foundations, in the $30 million acquisition of the Johnson Publishing Company’s Ebony and Jet magazines’ photography archive out of bankruptcy, and he also led California’s first ever commercial community land trust in the acquisition of a commercial block on behalf of a coalition of retail tenants in an effort to prevent business gentrification.
Before launching ORO Impact, George spent 16 years as a transactional attorney at some of the country’s leading law firms, including at Skadden, Arps LLP and as a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. Throughout his legal career, George was a stalwart champion of social justice and invested thousands of hours to build an award-winning pro bono practice, including securing reparations for survivors of the Holocaust, successfully advocating to California’s Supreme Court on behalf of public school students with disabilities, representing The Debbie Allen Dance Academy in its development of a new state-of-the-art performing arts facility and advising Destination Crenshaw in its $120 million investment to create a 1.3-mile outdoor walking museum to celebrate Black Los Angeles.
George was recently selected as a 2024 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Resident—a prestigious global fellowship which offers thinkers and doers the chance to develop the ideas, art, policies and breakthroughs that will help to promote the wellbeing of humanity by making opportunity universal and sustainable (former residents have included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa Dikgang Moseneke, author Maya Angelou, creator of The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah Jones and human rights activist Ilwad Elman). George's legal achievements have garnered widespread recognition and acclaim, including the prestigious Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity, twice being named as a California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year, inclusion as a Leaders of Influence from the Los Angeles Business Journal, and securing a spot on the "Top 100" lawyers list compiled by the Daily Journal. He has been distinguished as a California Trailblazer by The Recorder, a Top Minority Attorney by the Los Angeles Business Journal and recognized by the Financial Times for Innovation in Social Responsibility for his role co-founding The Associates Committee, a nonprofit foundation awarding grants to public interest organizations. In addition, George was selected as the 2023 Grand Marshal for the annual Kingdom Day Parade, the largest and longest running celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, George served as a nonprofit executive with a leading public education reform organization, worked as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company, and launched an e-government internet company, for which he was named one of Silicon Valley’s Top Minority Entrepreneurs.
Over the years, George’s dedication to social justice has been exemplified through his service in action. His mission transcends personal achievements and professional accolades and is rooted in a vision to transform perspectives, create access to justice and capital and equitable outcomes for all.
Currently, George serves as a commissioner on the board of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution and a trustee for Loyola Marymount University. He member of Sigma Pi Phi, the oldest African-American Greek-lettered fraternity.
George graduated cum laude from Harvard University and received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, where he also graduated cum laude. George later returned to Loyola Law School as an adjunct professor to teach Education Law and Real Estate Law.
Speaker Videos
The Fight for Justice, Reparations and Bruce's Beach | American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
A Long Way For Justice | George Fatheree
Speech Topics
Recovering Bruce’s Beach: Behind The Landmark Legal Victory
In 2022, for the first time in U.S. history, the government returned land to a Black family that had been taken almost 100 years earlier in a racially motivated eminent domain action. Bruce family attorney George Fatheree shares the story, background and strategy which led to this landmark victory.
Adversity Advantage: Flipping Imposter Syndrome On Its Head
Acclaimed attorney George Fatheree shares his story of growing up in a working class, single parent household to being the first in his family to finish college, graduating from Harvard University, earning his law degree and embarking on a successful career as a business person, entrepreneur and corporate attorney. He describes how overcoming adversity helped him build the skills to succeed and distinguish himself academically and professionally.
Rescuing the Ebony & Jet Photography Archive: How A Cultural Treasure Was Saved From Bankruptcy
Johnson Publishing Company made history in launching Ebony and Jet magazines, which documented, in print and image, over 8 decades of American history, through the African American pen and lens. When the storied company filed for bankruptcy, its one-of-a-kind photography archive, comprised of over 4.5 million images, the majority of which have never been seen by the public, was at risk of being lost. Attorney George Fatheree represented a consortium of foundations to save the photography archive in one of the most significant cultural legal transactions in the past decade.
Reframing the Narrative: How Housing & Finance Policy Shape The Racial Wealth Gap
Acclaimed attorney George Fatheree delivers a compelling and eye-opening retelling of how racial discrimination over the past century has cemented the racial homeownership and wealth gaps. This journey helps reframe the narrative around how we got to where we are today and forces us to think about our collective opportunities and obligations to move forward.
Reconsidering Reparations
Social impact attorney and acclaimed attorney George Fatheree offers a unique and compelling perspective on how to think about reparations in a way that advances opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.
Preparation, Passion & Purpose: How A Landmark Art Restitution Case Rewrote U.S. History
Attorney George Fatheree – attorney and advocate turned entrepreneur – recently led a groundbreaking legal and cultural achievement: the first time in U.S. history that an art institution returned artwork created by an enslaved African American to that artist’s descendants. This precedent-setting transaction, involving pottery created by David Drake in the 19th century, introduced a new standard of ethical restitution for art produced under enslavement, a concept the United States had never recognized before.
In this inspiring and deeply human conversation, George shares how he used the tools of his professional training: preparation, deal-making, negotiation, advocacy, and creativity – to pursue a personal passion for justice and preservation of cultural heritage. The talk explores how purpose-driven work can emerge from unexpected places, how professionals can leverage their skill sets to create social impact, and what it means to lead with courage inside large, complex institutions.
Designed for organizations and professionals at all stages of their careers, this session delivers:
- A powerful real-world example of how technical expertise can fuel meaningful change
- Insights into navigating high-stakes negotiations and culturally sensitive transactions
- A roadmap for aligning career success with personal purpose
- A story that encourages audiences to see their profession not just as work, but as a platform for impact
Audiences will leave energized, challenged, and inspired to think differently about their own skills—and the lasting legacy they can create in their communities and the world.
Testimonials
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