Eric White

Product Liability & Mass Torts

• Representing Johnson & Johnson as trial counsel in talc litigation matters.
• Co-Counsel to TikTok in nationwide litigation in which individual plaintiffs allege personal injuries and school districts and other governmental entities allege economic damages arising from adolescent use of various online communications services, including in the In re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Litigation MDL pending in the Northern District of California and the In re Social Media Cases JCCP pending in Los Angeles County.
• Representing multinational pharmaceutical manufacturer in product liability litigation in which plaintiffs allege an antipsychotic medication caused their cancer.
• Represented chemical manufacturer in environmental and products liability PFAS litigation alleging groundwater contamination and personal injuries.
• Represented multinational food processing company in environmental litigation alleging groundwater contamination and personal injuries.
• Represented BP as national coordinating and trial counsel in a portfolio of nearly 900 personal injury lawsuits arising out of In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, obtaining hundreds of Daubert and summary judgment victories.
• National counsel for Abbott Laboratories in opioids litigation around the country, successfully obtaining dismissals including at state supreme courts.

Complex Commercial Litigation

• Trial counsel for BP in complete defense jury verdict in South Carolina state court, defeating fraud and unfair trade practices act claims related to its recovery of money from state trust fund for remediating environmental contamination at its current and former service stations. National counsel for BP in similar multi-state litigation and government investigations alleging fraud, unjust enrichment, and statutory violations, successfully obtaining summary judgment victories and dispositive rulings.
• Represented plaintiff manufacturer of earthmoving equipment in a suit that resulted in the successful jury trial against Caterpillar Inc. in connection with Caterpillar's breach of contract and theft of trade secrets, culminating in a $73.6 million verdict. The award in the five-year battle was believed to be the largest trade secret- misappropriation verdict in Illinois history at the time.
• Represented the East Coast's largest refinery Philadelphia Energy Solutions in a bankruptcy adversary lawsuit seeking business interruption and property damage coverage arising from a catastrophic explosion. Part of the case settled favorably before trial, and the remainder also settled favorably during trial.
• Represented plaintiff Bracket Holding Corp. in a lawsuit that resulted in a jury verdict of $82.1 million. The jury found defendants committed fraud in selling a clinical trial software business by misrepresenting the financial condition of the company, causing Bracket to overpay for the company and suffer a substantial shortfall in working capital.
• Defended Health Care Service Corporation in a series of putative class action lawsuits filed across the country, challenging the structure of the Blue System of health insurance under antitrust laws.

Investigations

• Conducted independent investigation for the University of Illinois into the management of sports injuries, scholarship renewals, and other player treatment issues on the football and women's basketball teams.
• Conducted independent investigation and advised Board of beverage company related to allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation against a senior executive.
• Conducted race-based pattern and practice investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department after the murder of George Floyd.
• Represented institutions of higher education in investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Education related to allegations of discrimination.

Eric White is a partner based in the Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Product Liability and Mass Torts practice group. He represents clients, including chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, and technology companies, in high-stakes mass tort and complex commercial litigation across the country.

Eric has experience as national coordinating and trial counsel in mediagenic mass and class actions, as well as individual actions.  Eric also represents clients in sensitive, high-profile investigations. He was recently named to Lawdragon's 2025 lists of "500 Leading Litigators in America" and “500 Leading Environmental Lawyers” and was recognized by Crain's Chicago Business as a "Notable Black Leader and Executive" and named to its 2024 "40 Under 40" list

Eric also has represented many pro bono clients, including the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in its investigation of race-based policing practices of the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. He recently first chaired a Section 1983 federal jury trial, and secured a unanimous jury verdict on liability, compensatory and punitive damages against a prison warden.

Eric draws upon his experience as a sixth-grade teacher in a low-performing urban school during all aspects of his work, from making complex concepts easily understandable for jurors and stakeholders to leaning into highly-charged environments with grit and empathy.