Erik Haas | Lawyers | Linklaters

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Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations

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"Having spent nearly three decades as outside counsel before serving as World-Wide Vice President of Litigation at Johnson & Johnson, I bring a rare combination of in-house judgment and courtroom experience. I know what it takes to lead a company through its toughest legal challenges, while managing the day-to-day litigation and related governance and financial reporting issues. I bring that same client-first instinct to every matter I handle."

Overview

Erik is a Partner in the U.S. Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations group in New York. He joined the firm from Johnson & Johnson, where he served as World-Wide Vice President of Litigation, leading the company through some of its most significant and complex legal challenges, including the litigation and resolution of one of the largest and most consequential mass torts in U.S. history.

Before joining Johnson & Johnson in 2020, Erik was a trusted outside counsel to the company for nearly three decades as a partner at a leading litigation firm, where he also led the Complex Commercial, Structured Finance and Securities Litigation groups, and the False Claims Act and Whistleblower Defense practices.

With decades of experience spanning private practice and in-house leadership, Erik has represented global companies across a range of industries in high-stakes litigation, board governance disputes, investigations and crisis matters, with particular depth in complex commercial litigation, securities and derivatives litigation, products liability, structured finance disputes and white collar defense and investigations. He is a prominent voice on litigation policy and tort reform and has appeared before Congress on issues relating to mass tort claims resolution.

Experience

Johnson & Johnson: as World-Wide Vice President of Litigation, managed perhaps the world’s most voluminous and diverse litigation dockets, while actively litigating the company's most significant litigation matters, including one of the largest and most consequential mass torts in U.S. history, guiding a decade-long litigation from trial through a landmark nationwide resolution.*
Defended boards of directors of major corporations in shareholder derivative and class actions brought in state and federal court, and in related governance actions and investigations.*
Represented major institutions in investigations and litigation brought under unfair and deceptive practices statutes arising from allegations of pricing and reimbursement fraud.*
Defended companies against whistleblower claims advanced under the False Claims Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank and state and federal employment statutes.*
Represented healthcare and consumer product companies in false advertising, trademark and unfair competition claims, and secured a win for an international conglomerate in a complex trade name, domain name and trade secret misappropriation dispute.*
Represented large pharmaceutical clients in antitrust litigation.*
Represented major domestic and foreign clients in high-stakes, complex commercial disputes spanning international joint venture disputes to common law fraud claims.*
Brought actions on behalf of financial guarantors and private investment firms in complex structured finance litigation against sponsors, originators and servicers of mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations and net interest margin securities, including as lead litigator in related trust disputes before the Delaware Chancery Court.*

*Representations prior to joining Linklaters.

Beyond the Office

Erik has served as a director of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, including as board chair, and chair of its finance, audit and investment committees.

Recognition

Erik has previously been recognized by Chambers USA for his work in Litigation: Securities and Litigation: General Commercial, and listed as a "Litigation Star" for New York in Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC's Benchmark: America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys.

Education, Qualifications and Languages

Erik holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law (1993), where he received American Jurisprudence Awards, and a B.A. from the State University of New York (magna cum laude, 1987). Erik received his Certified Public Accountant license in 1990.

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Beyond the Office

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Education, Qualifications and Languages

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Overview

Experience

Recognition

Education, Qualifications and Languages