Eric M. Mendelson Email & Phone Number

San Diego, California

San Diego, California

Provide legal services free-of-charge to all San Diego residents over the age of 60. Developed claims under, inter alia, California’s consumer protection and Elder and Dependent Adult abuse laws leading to settlements totaling about $100,000.Researched causes of action, prepared demand letters, drafted retainer agreements, identified andretained specialized outside counsel, prepared complaints, notices of pendency, motion papers, andsettlement agreements, negotiated settlements either directly or in close collaboration with outsidecounsel.Select Achievements:Worked closely with lead counsel to bring suit, and favorably settle, financial elder abuse claims arising from foreclosure-related fraud perpetrated by multiple defendants.Obtained a settlement of Clients' potential claims relating to a high-end "vacation membership agreement" sold by a publicly-traded company in violation of California's Unfair Competition Law. The benefits of the agreement were misrepresented through a marketing system involving targeted mailing and in-person presentations. Prior to attorney involvement, said company refused to even communicate with the Clients.Obtained Client's release from a home monitoring services agreement sold in violation of California's Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law and Consumer Legal Remedies Act. Said service provider failed to disclose material contract terms in a timely manner. Client had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to be released from the contract before seeking help from Elder Law and Advocacy.

San Diego, California

Advance and protect the rights of people with disabilities by providing free legal services, including representation in federal and state courts and in administrative hearings.Select Achievements:Served as lead attorney in the representation of an individual with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who suffered near-total elimination of Medi-Cal benefits due to erroneous government assessments of his need. Obtained the maximum possible award of future benefits as well as a lump-sum for extensive back pay. The Client did not have success at an administrative trial held before he had legal representation. During my cross-examination at the second administrative trial, the government's liability expert admitted the government's assessments did not comply with relevant regulations. The government stopped the trial and agreed to provide Claimant with his full demand.

Los Angeles, California

Joined Public Counsel’s Consumer Litigation Unit to provide expertise in the prosecution of a complex personal injury suit arising from “patient dumping” by a prominent Los Angeles hospital system. Causes of action included Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse claims under California's Welfare and Institutions Code. The case was brought to a favorable settlement.Worked in support of a broader initiative to eliminate the practice of patient dumping among Los Angeles hospitals. Learned to achieve a positive community impact by identifying tortious activity, buildingnetworks to find aggrieved individuals, engaging in highly visible litigation resulting incompensation for the aggrieved individuals and finally educating potential defendants onimplementing better practices.Work also included housing class-action suits and foreclosure assistance.

New York, New York

Represent clients, including national construction firms, global financial firms and supermajor oil companies, in state and federal courts.Experience includes New York and New Jersey federal and state court litigation as well as FINRA arbitration proceedings. In complex civil disputes predominantly involving multi-million dollar client exposure:+prepare and argue motions+take and defend depositions+prepare discovery demands and responses to same+manage large-scale discovery+appear at Court conferences+appear at trial+prepare advisory opinions and status reports+train junior attorneysSelect Achievements:Conducted a full criminal bench trial and obtained a dismissal;Successfully prepared and argued a series of motions which lead to favorable settlement of our client’s insurance coverage claims against a large London underwriter;Defeated a land owner’s motion for dismissal in a catastrophic property damage case, by arguing that an absentee landlord is bound by a duty to act for its own protection;Successfully argued for reconsideration of broad court-ordered discovery productions in a high exposure personal injury litigation, on behalf of the City of New York and the Hudson River ParkTrust;Obtained summary judgment on behalf of multiple New York government entities in a high exposure personal injury litigation. Developed a system for managing discovery and substantive developments in defense of thousands of cases in the World Trade Center Disaster Litigation;Managed the international component of multi-district federal litigation arising from OTC derivative trading disputes. Developed successful arguments re oil-trader client's rights to funds in a multi-party South African arbitration.