Eric Schlabs

Overview

Eric focuses his practice on high-stakes litigation, bringing extensive experience managing teams in complex commercial, trade secret, and employment matters. Eric works closely with his clients to understand their business needs so he can tailor creative, aggressive, and efficient strategies that nimbly balance risk and restraint.

Eric’s experience spans state courts from New York to California, federal courts across the country, and arbitration forums including AAA, JAMS, and the HKIAC. His career has encompassed all phases of litigation, taking cases from pre-suit investigation through trial and beyond, and he routinely handles expedited matters such as restraining orders, injunctions, and attachments. Eric has represented a diverse array of technology and pharmaceutical startups, as well as world-renowned consumer electronics, energy, and telecommunications companies. He proudly appears on each side of the “v” at almost exactly the same rate and particularly enjoys leveraging his engineering background to confront thorny technical issues and make them accessible to lay audiences.

Prior to joining Benesch, Eric was an associate at BraunHagey & Borden LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he handled bet-the-company disputes, including trade secret, trademark, patent, antitrust, breach of contract, class action, corporate governance, financial fraud, unfair competition, digital assets, securities, and founders’ disputes. After graduating from law school, he clerked in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, where he worked on dozens of intellectual property and commercial cases.

In addition to his primary practice, Eric dedicates significant time to his impact and pro bono work, seeking justice for clients in individual and class action civil rights litigation and immigration cases. He is also an active member of the firm’s LGBTQ+ ERG and serves on its New York Hiring Committee.

*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.