Erik Swanholt

With more than 20 years of experience as an adviser, litigator and trial lawyer for Fortune 500 companies and start-ups alike, Erik Swanholt has a broad range of experience spanning multiple disciplines. Erik’s primary focus, however, is on advising and representing manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of consumer and industrial products in all areas of their business.

Consumer Product Safety Practice – One significant part of Erik’s practice is to assist companies with developing best practices for their products. From advising on good manufacturing practices, regulatory compliance programs, and supply chain protocols, to developing compliant marketing plans and labeling strategies, Erik works with companies looking to get to market with new products, or those looking to improve existing practices for products that have been on the market for years. Erik has extensive experience working with testing labs and regulators (including the Consumer Products Safety Commission (“CPSC”), FDA, FTC, OEHHA, CARB, Health Canada and others) to certify or demonstrate regulatory compliance. In this capacity, Erik has led a number of companies through global and U.S. product recalls and countless remediation plans when recall is not necessary.

Consumer Product Litigation – The other significant part of Erik’s practice is to represent and defend companies in class action and mass litigation or government/regulatory compliance issues relating to their products, including products liability, consumer class action, toxic torts, personal injury, antitrust, contract actions, and regulatory investigations. He has successfully defended businesses sued in state and federal court under myriad statutory schemes, including California’s Unfair Competition Laws (UCL), the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), to name a few.

Consistent with his consumer product and products liability experience, Erik is also expert in the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (“PREP”) Act. He has advised numerous clients and written and spoken on the subject many times, including to the House Manufacturing Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives in late 2019 relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Erik’s experience crosses nearly every industry including, electronics, safety equipment, food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vehicles, aircraft, chemicals, industrial machinery, fashion, financial instruments, home appliances, furniture, silica, asbestos and more.