Chase, Eric L.
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
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.
Practice Area
Commercial Litigation
Franchise Law
