Erik Connolly

J. Erik Connolly is Vice Chair of the Litigation Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Securities Litigation Practice Group at Benesch Law. Erik has been litigating complex, high-profile cases his entire career. His first trial was a valuation dispute over the largest retail building in the country. His most recent trial was the largest defamation case in U.S. history. In between, Erik represented plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of “bet the company” cases across the country. He and his team have a track record of success in these all- important disputes.

As lead and co-lead counsel, Erik has had success for clients at every stage of litigation. He has obtained dismissal of multibillion-dollar class actions, defeated class certification and won summary judgment in precedent-setting decisions, prevailed in marathon-length trials, and preserved trial court wins on appeal.

Inside the courtroom, Erik represents both individuals and companies in a variety of commercial matters, including defamation, disparagement, tortious interference, fraud, negligence, breach of contract, securities fraud, insider trading, breach of fiduciary duty, auditor liability and product liability.

Outside the courtroom, Erik serves as a trusted advisor to clients from Fortune 50 companies to family-owned businesses. Clients frequently seek his input on engaging with the media, conducting internal investigations, interacting with regulators and government agencies, and negotiating with customers and suppliers.