Eric C. Strain

For nearly 25 years, Eric Strain has maintained a national practice representing companies located in North America, Europe and Asia through all stages of complex civil litigation in the United States, including mediation, trial and appeal. Eric’s substantial courtroom experience includes federal and state court jury trials, arguments before U.S. courts of appeals and briefings submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. He is directly responsible for precedent-setting published opinions in numerous jurisdictions, and is a national leader on issues involving the jurisdiction of U.S. courts over both foreign and domestic defendants.

With an emphasis on representing global aviation companies, Eric serves as lead U.S. national product liability defense counsel for one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers located in Europe and its North American affiliates.

Eric’s clients trust his ability to execute complex legal and technical strategies to accomplish their specific goals, whether it be a prompt and efficient resolution or a full and aggressive defense. His foreign clients in particular benefit from his clear advice about often unfamiliar U.S. litigation, regulatory and discovery processes.

Eric’s representative experience includes:

• Defended against numerous wrongful death, serious personal injury and property damage claims arising from aircraft accidents in a variety of industries, including commercial, tourist, air ambulance, news-gathering and private operation flights
• Obtained federal court jury trial defense verdict in wrongful death action against U.S. client
• Obtained Texas state court jury trial defense verdict in wrongful death and serious personal injury action against French and U.S. clients
• Obtained personal jurisdiction dismissal of U.S. client from wrongful death lawsuit in Oklahoma — upheld on appeal to the Oklahoma Supreme Court
• Obtained North Carolina Court of Appeals decision reversing trial court’s denial of German aviation manufacturer’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction
• Obtained personal jurisdiction dismissal of European clients from Massachusetts federal court lawsuit
• Obtained personal jurisdiction dismissal of federal court claims against European airframe manufacturer arising out of an airline disaster in Cuba — upheld by federal court of appeals, and petition for review denied by the U.S. Supreme Court
• Obtained personal jurisdiction and forum non conveniens dismissals of $100 million commercial claims against French client
• Obtained dismissal of clients from wrongful death action on the eve of trial after aggressive defense caused the plaintiff to voluntarily drop the suit with no settlement money paid
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal of $90 million fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims against U.S. and French clients
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal with awarded costs on a multimillion-dollar commercial claim against aviation client in Texas state court
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal of $25 million contribution claim after multiple stage coordinated legal defense strategy involving complex personal jurisdiction, transfer and choice of law issues — upheld on appeal to federal court of appeals
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal of federal court tort and breach of warranty claims against clients based on economic loss rule defense
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal of manufacturing defect claim against U.S. client after court struck the plaintiff’s technical expert on Daubert challenge
• Obtained dismissal of Swedish aviation cold storage transportation company from commercial dispute with no settlement money paid
• Counseled leading European airframe manufacturer during National Transportation Safety Board public hearings following airline disaster in Laos
• Counseled European and Asian air carriers on Warsaw/Montreal Convention claims