Areas of Practice
News & Events
Areas of Practice
Commercial Litigation
Franchise Law
Education
J.D.,
cum laude,
University of Minnesota, 1974
B.A.,
Princeton University, 1968
Bar Admissions
New Jersey, 1974
District of Columbia, 1975
New York, 1983
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1974
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1979
U.S. Supreme Court, 1981
U.S. Tax Court, 1982
U.S. Claims Court, 1982
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1988
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1996
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2003
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 2006
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 2006
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2006
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2007
Professional Affiliations
ATLA
Federal Bar Association
American Bar Association
New Jersey State Bar Association
Franchise Law Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association
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Eric L. Chase Member
New Jersey
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New York
Tel: 973.514.1200 | Direct: 973.966.9686 Fax: 973.514.1660 echase@bressler.com |
In addition to his thirty years as a commercial litigator and a highly experienced appellate advocate, Mr. Chase is a nationally recognized authority in the area of automotive franchise law. He has represented hundreds of automobile dealers throughout the United States in transactions and disputes, mainly with automobile factories and importers. Landmark decisions in which he was lead counsel include Danvers Motor Co. v. Ford Motor Co., 432 F.3rd 286 (3rd Cir. 2005) in which the Third Circuit in an opinion (authored by now Justice Samuel Alito) concerning a legal challenge to Ford’s Blue Oval Program reversed the trial court and held that eight Ford dealers, who had been dismissed by the trial court, had constitutional standing to sue Ford; Liberty Lincoln-Mercury, Inc. v. Ford Motor Company, 134 F.3d 557 (3d Cir. 1998) which set a significant national precedent in breaking through factory resistance to state laws requiring warranty payments for parts at dealers' retail rates; Stadium Chrysler-Jeep v. DaimlerChrysler Motors Co., 324 F. Supp. 2d 587 (D.N.J. 2004) where, in a case of first impression, DaimlerChrysler was held to be liable to five Plymouth dealers for the fair market value of their lost franchises when the brand was terminated; Subaru of America, Inc. v. State Board of Vehicle Manufacturers, 842 A.2d 1003 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2004) wherein a Pennsylvania appellate court upheld a dealer’s successful challenge to a notice of termination, while sustaining and advancing statutory dealer anti-termination protections.
Mr. Chase has written dozens of articles on automotive subjects which have appeared in, among other publications, Automotive News, Auto Age, Automobile Executive, Automotive Dealers Digest, Professional Briefings and Dealers Edge. His book, Automobile Dealers and the Law: The Businessman's Desk Manual for Survival, is in its seventh (2000) edition. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars for dealers throughout the country, including business sessions at the annual meetings of various state dealer and government associations. Mr. Chase has also co-chaired the Franchise Law Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Dealer Counsel.
A former Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, and a retired colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, Mr. Chase served as an infantry officer in Vietnam. He is an acknowledged authority on national security and the law of war. His writings on those subjects have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Legal Times and Strategic Review. He has appeared as a military expert on Good Morning America, Larry King Live, CBS Sunday Morning and the Charlie Rose Show. Mr. Chase has been a guest speaker in seminars in the Politics Department at Princeton University. He has lectured on the subject of military legal issues.
News & Events
Firm Announcements
Eight Bressler, Amery & Ross Attorneys Selected as 2010 New Jersey Super Lawyers
Ten Bressler, Amery & Ross Attorneys Selected as 2009 New Jersey Super Lawyers
Eric L. Chase selected as a 2008 Corporate Counsel Super Lawyer
Seven Bressler, Amery & Ross Attorneys Selected as 2007 New Jersey Super Lawyers
Eight Bressler, Amery & Ross Attorneys Selected as 2006 New Jersey Super Lawyers
Seven Firm Attorneys Named as New Jersey “Super Lawyers”Speaking Engagements
Auto CPA Group Spring Meeting 20 Groups NADC Conferences Automotive Trade Executives (ATAE) Idaho ADA and Montana ADA ConventionPublications
Ford Dealers Alliance NewsletterThe End of the Mercury Brand: What Dealers Can Do
Dealer's Edge, Annual SupplementA Practical Guide: What the new law allowing rejected Chrysler and GM Dealers to seek arbiration does and what it means for eligible dealers.
Dealer's Edge, Car Dealer InsiderImplementing Best Practices: Eric Chase’s Legal Audit Checklist for Auto Dealers©
Dealer's Edge, Annual Supplement2010’s Top Twenty Legal Trends for Automobile Dealers
Dealer's Edge, Car Dealer InsiderImplementing Best Practices: Eric Chase's Legal Audit Checklist for Auto Dealers
Dealer's Edge, Annual Supplement2009's Top Twenty Legal Trends for Automobile Dealers