Eric G. Lasker litigates a wide variety of complex civil matters, with a current focus on toxic torts, environmental litigation, and pharmaceutical products liability. He has successfully represented his clients' interests as lead counsel in multidistrict litigation, mass torts, jury trials and bench proceedings, and in oral argument in multiple federal courts of appeal and state supreme courts. In 2013, Mr. Lasker was named by Law360 as one of its five national Product Liability MVPs.
Mr. Lasker was recognized by The American Lawyer as "Litigator of the Week" and featured on the Bloomberg News program "Rainmakers" for his work in securing a victory for Firm client, DynCorp International. DynCorp is a contractor to the U.S. Department of State assisting with the joint United States-Colombia war-on-drugs initiatives known as “Plan Colombia.” In 2013, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted summary judgment to DynCorp, dismissing claims brought by 3,200 Ecuadoreans for alleged personal injury and property damage in connection with counternarcotics aerial herbicide spraying operations in southern Colombia, because plaintiffs failed to present reliable evidence linking those claimed injuries and damage to the spraying operations. Arias, et al. v. DynCorp, et al., 928 F. Supp.2d 10, 2013 WL 821168 (D.D.C. Feb. 19, 2013). Mr. Lasker subsequently defended those victories before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Arias v. DynCorp, 752 F.3d 1011 (D.C. Cir. 2014). In 2017, he secured a complete defense verdict in a jury trial of six test plaintiffs' remaining emotional distress claims.
Mr. Lasker has significant experience defending against all matter of legal claims involving FDA-regulated and EPA-regulated products and alleged toxins and environmental contaminants. He has represented clients in pharmaceutical products liability claims involving antipsychotic medications, obstetrical drugs, antifungals, antiepileptics, contact and intraocular lenses, and cough/cold medicines, and in toxics/environmental matters involving herbicides, asbestos, lead, nonionizing radiation, arsenic, and chemical solvents. He has represented clients in matters arising both in the United States and abroad, and in matters arising under both domestic and international law. Mr. Lasker's practice also includes matters involving sensitive national security issues, and he has represented his clients’ interests in meetings with both U.S. and foreign government officials. He has extensive expertise in developing and implementing sophisticated medical causation and science-based defenses, and he has successfully litigated issues involving Daubert, the federal preemption defense, and natural resource damages claims. See New Mexico v. General Electric, 467 F.3d 1223 (10th Cir. 2006). He also assists clients in due diligence investigations as relates to environmental and toxics liabilities and through an active amicus practice on behalf of various industry organizations, including the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the American Coatings Association, among others.
Mr. Lasker played a prominent role in helping to establish asbestos defendants’ rights to insurance non-products coverage through a successful amicus effort that secured one of the seminal judicial opinions recognizing the existence of such coverage, litigation efforts resulting in securing several hundreds of millions of dollars in asbestos non-products insurance recoveries, and oral presentations and publications on issues involving non-products coverage. He has also defended personal injury claims in asbestos litigation, advancing medical causation defenses as the asbestos litigation has extended to tertiary and even more remotely-situated corporate defendants.
In 2018, Mr. Lasker participated in a roundtable discussion on a potential amendment to FRE 702 sponsored by the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence and held at the University of Denver, Strum College of Law.
Mr. Lasker is frequently requested to speak and publish on issues of interest to his clients. He is the recipient of the 2012 George Yancey Memorial Award and the 2014 Burton Award for excellence in legal writing.
Mr. Lasker is named a 2021 AV Preeminent Lawyer by ALM Media and Martindale-Hubbell and listed in Super Lawyers for Class Action. He is recognized in Who's Who Legal: Life Sciences for Product Liability and as an expert by Who's Who Legal for Product Liability Defence. He previously served as the Chair of the International Association of Defense Counsel Toxics & Hazardous Substances Committee and on the Board of Editors of LJN's Product Liability Law & Strategy newsletter. He is a long-standing member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI).
Contact Info:
T 202.898.5843
elasker@hollingsworthllp.com