Erik L. Wilson

Erik L. Wilson is a litigation expert who represents plaintiffs and defendants in a broad array of litigations, arbitrations, appeals, investigations, and regulatory enforcement actions. Mr. Wilson represents private and public entities in federal and state courts (California and New York), as well as before administrative agencies (SEC, FTC, FERC, USDA, USFS). His practice primarily focuses on complex commercial and business disputes in the cannabis, financial services, media and entertainment, technology, manufacturing, automotive, real estate, insurance, and environmental sectors. Mr. Wilson has successfully litigated cases for clients of all sizes, from Fortune 100 companies to startups and high net worth individuals. He specializes in finding creative ways to win difficult cases and has a near-perfect record at trial, arbitration, and appeal. He is routinely engaged by clients to take over cases being lost by other counsel and turn them around prior to trial.

Mr. Wilson also has significant experience litigating and counseling companies in the Cannabis sector regarding business and cannabis license ownership, intellectual property, corporate governance, investor/creditor disputes, fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, privacy, and labor/employment issues.

Before joining AALRR, Mr. Wilson worked at a litigation boutique in California and at multiple international law firms in New York. Prior to attending law school, he was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. Mr. Wilson also served for three years as the Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, where he helped draft and enact legislation allowing for military spouses to more rapidly transfer their professional licenses into New York State, and led the NYCBA’s projects related to military sexual assault, integration of women into front line combat units, open service for transgender individuals, and the military tribunals at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. He also traveled to Guantánamo to serve as an NGO observer for United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Honors & Recognitions

Liaison, ABA Standing Committee on Gun Violence
Former Chairman, New York City Bar Association’s Military & Veterans’ Affairs Committee
“Century Club” Pro Bono Award (over 100 hours of pro bono per year for at least two consecutive years)

(Defense) Won full defense verdict in federal jury trial on behalf of a cutting-edge digital music company alleged to have withheld millions in wages from two co-founders

(Defense) Won summary judgment on behalf of nursing home conglomerate alleged to have not paid millions in deductibles under workers compensation insurance policies

(Defense) Won full defense verdict at arbitration for car sales and finance company in case alleging tax fraud and breaches of consumer privacy laws

(Plaintiff) Won appeal of motion to compel arbitration before CA Courts of Appeal, which allowed client’s claims of racial, age, and disability discrimination claims to proceed in court

(Defense) Achieved favorable settlement on claims that client failed to pay a business referral fee

(Defense) Defeated class claims against conglomerate of umbilical cord blood banking companies, resulting in dismissal of all claims against client

(Plaintiff) Achieved favorable settlement for app development company on fraud and breach of contract claims related to unpaid app development fees

(Plaintiff) Won two-week arbitration in dispute over ownership of multiple businesses and real estate holdings

(Plaintiff) Achieved favorable settlement for investor who was defrauded out of investment returns and cryptocurrency by internet technology company

(Defense) Achieved highly favorable settlement for apparel manufacturer in PAGA claims alleging unpaid overtime, straight time, missed meal and rest periods, off-the-clock work, unpaid wages, and waiting time penalties

(Defense) Won full defense verdict in federal administrative hearing concerning reimbursement of California wildfire firefighting expenses

(Defense) Achieved highly favorable settlements on behalf of car sales and finance companies in consumer, breach of warranty of merchantability, and fraud claims

Successfully advised on lease renegotiations for the LA Times

(Investigation) Represented Ernst & Young in an internal and SEC investigation of U.S. practices

(Plaintiff) Successfully represented class of students with disabilities in claims against New York City Department of Education for failing to provide required educational services

(Defense) Forced voluntarily dismissal of all claims against community development corporation in breach of contract claims by former contractor

(Defense) Successfully represented Berkshire Hathaway investment companies in breach of contract dispute against co-venturer in oil rig sector

Practice Areas

Community & Professional

Former Member of Board of Trustees for Citizens of the World Charter Schools New York

Pro Bono Work

Secured two exonerations using DNA evidence through the Innocence Project

Co-Authored marriage equality amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States and five Circuit Courts of Appeal

Served as NGO observer for United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

Co-Authored amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in Gill v. Whitford partisan gerrymandering case

Won class-wide relief on behalf of students with disabilities against The New York City Department of Education

Successfully argued child custody appeal before New York Appellate Division