George B. Wolfe was born and raised in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

. In December 2023, he retired as a partner in the law firm of Nelson Mullins in Columbia, South Carolina. His practice was focused on representing foreign and domestic companies establishing or expanding operations in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Career

Wolfe began his career in 1977 at the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering (now known as Wilmer Hale) in

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. In 1983, Wolfe returned to his hometown of

and joined Nelson Mullins and has practiced there since that time with the exception of 2001–2004, when he worked at the U.S. Treasury Department. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Wolfe served as a member of the Investment Policy Advisory Committee (INPAC) to the United States Trade Representative under President George H.W. Bush. From 2001 to 2004, Wolfe served as deputy general counsel and counselor to the secretary for the Department of the Treasury. During this time, he also served two tours in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

(2003–2004) as part of the

Coalition Provisional Authority The Coalition Provisional Authority (; , CPA) was a Provisional government, transitional government of Iraq established following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, invasion of the country on 19 March 2003 by Multi-National Force – Iraq, U.S.-led Co ...

(CPA), where he worked on Iraq's financial reconstruction. After leaving the Treasury Department in 2004, Mr. Wolfe served as the first managing partner of the Nelson Mullins' Washington, DC office before returning to the firm's Columbia office in 2007. Wolfe was an employee of the

United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...

and worked for the

in 2003 and 2004. Wolfe sat on the CPA's Program Review Board, the committee that made the final recommendation to CPA Administrator

Paul Bremer Lewis Paul Bremer III (born September 30, 1941) is a retired American diplomat. He was the second ''de facto'' head of state of Iraq as leader of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United State ...

over the $20 billion of contracts the CPA awarded. For its final three months Wolfe served as the board's chairman. As chair of the board he was also the Senior advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. The

KPMG audit of the Development Fund for Iraq In May 2003, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, invasion of Iraq in March of that year, the Central Bank of Iraq-Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) account was created at the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York at the request of the Coalition Prov ...

reports that scheduling a meeting with Administrator Bremer had proven difficult. Then Bremer departed from Iraq early, leaving important loose ends dangling—like—the audit. The auditors looked to Wolfe, the next most senior financial officer after Bremer for cooperation. However Wolfe: Wolfe left government service in 2004, and returned as a partner in the law firm Nelson Mullins. He retired in December of 2023.

Education

Wolfe graduated cum laude from

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

in 1973. In 1977, he received his Juris Doctor from the

University of Pennsylvania School of Law The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Carey Law, or Penn Law; previously University of Pennsylvania Law School) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private Ivy League researc ...

where he was a member of the Law Review and Order of the Coif.

Leadership

Wolfe has served as president of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association and as chair of the Greater Columbia Committee of 100, the South Carolina Bar Corporate, Banking and Securities Law Section, and a South Carolina public-private sector group that created a strategic plan for the economic development of South Carolina. Wolfe has served as a board member for organization such as the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia World Affairs Council, and the Columbia Film Society.

Awards and recognition

Wolfe is a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian award given by a South Carolina Governor. In addition, he received the South Carolina Department of Revenue Lifetime Public Service Award. Wolfe also received the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Treasury Department for his service there.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfe, George American accountants Coalition Provisional Authority Living people Year of birth missing (living people)