Eric G. Lasker

Eric Lasker is prized by clients and colleagues for his ability to quickly get to the heart of complex legal matters. He has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to collect, identify and distill vast amounts of technical information into strategic priorities and key substantive themes around which to develop and implement sophisticated medical causation and science-based defenses. Mission-focused and a quick study, Eric is seasoned in all stages of litigation and is often hired by clients for his devotion to their broader business and legal interests, as much as for the technical experience he brings to the case.

Recognized by Law360 as a Product Liability MVP, Eric litigates a wide variety of complex civil matters with a focus on toxic torts, environmental litigation, and pharmaceutical products liability. He has successfully litigated bet-the-company disputes involving Daubert challenges, the federal preemption defense, and environmental natural resource damages claims. Eric has represented his clients’ interests as lead counsel in multi-district litigation, mass torts, jury trials and bench proceedings, and in oral argument in multiple federal courts of appeal and state supreme courts. He represents clients in matters arising both in the United States and abroad, under both domestic and international law, in matters involving sensitive national security issues, and in meetings with both U.S. and foreign government officials.

Eric’s prowess in high-stakes litigation matters was heralded by The American Lawyer in identifying him as “Litigator of the Week.” He also was featured on the Bloomberg News program “Rainmakers” for his work securing a complete victory for firm client, DynCorp International, in defense of its work as a contractor to the U.S. Department of State in support of the joint United States-Colombia war-on-drugs initiative known as “Plan Colombia.”

With significant experience defending against all matter of legal claims involving FDA-regulated and EPA-regulated products and alleged toxins and environmental contaminants, Eric has represented clients in toxics/environmental matters involving herbicides, asbestos, lead, nonionizing radiation, arsenic, and chemical solvents, and in pharmaceutical products liability claims involving:

• antipsychotic medications
• obstetrical drugs
• antifungals
• antiepileptics
• contact and intraocular lenses
• cough/cold medicines

He assists clients in due diligence investigations that relate to environmental and toxics liabilities, in product stewardship efforts, and through an active amicus practice on behalf of various industry organizations. Eric also played a prominent role in helping to establish asbestos defendants’ rights to insurance non-products coverage that secured one of the seminal judicial opinions recognizing the existence of such coverage, litigation efforts that resulted in securing several hundreds of millions of dollars in asbestos non-products insurance recoveries.

Known for his skilled writing, Eric has been the recipient of the George Yancey Memorial Award and the Burton Award for excellence in legal writing and is often requested to speak and publish on issues of interest to his clients.  He is co-author of Defending Daubert: It’s Time to Amend Federal Rule of Evidence 702, which triggered the FRE Advisory Committee’s consideration of potential amendments to FRE 702. In 2018, Eric participated in a roundtable discussion on the potential amendment sponsored by the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence. In 2022, he testified before the Committee again in support of the proposed amendment, which was then unanimously approved by the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure and which will go into effect December 1, 2023.