Eric J.Janson

Eric brings nearly two decades of trial experience representing management in single-plaintiff and multiplaintiff employment litigation and class and collective actions before federal and state courts, including matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and other federal and state statutes. Eric also has extensive experience litigating systemic and pattern-and-practice actions brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at the early charge stage, during conciliation and ultimately in federal court. Eric also assists clients with employment-related tort claims, including defamation, fraud, tortious interference, as well as the enforcement and defense of non-solicitation and non-competition agreements.

In addition to his extensive litigation experience, Eric regularly partners with his clients to develop proactive solutions to a wide variety of employment matters, including workplace investigations of claims of discrimination and harassment, leave and accommodation requests, and employee discipline and discharge.

Prior to joining Seyfarth, Eric served as an Assistant US Attorney in the Civil Division of the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, where he served as first chair in representing federal agencies in civil litigation before the federal district and appellate courts. Eric also worked as a senior employment counsel for the National Gallery of Art, where he served as trial counsel in employment litigation proceedings before the Equal Opportunity Commission and the Merit Systems Protection Board. This in-house experience provides him with a unique perspective that makes him well equipped to provide practical legal solutions that recognize the business and operational realities that his clients face.

As a member of Seyfarth's Cannabis practice group, Eric regularly counsels clients navigating the myriad of state and federal laws that govern how employers can effectively and legally manage employees in their workforce who lawfully use cannabis for medical or recreational reasons. Eric is a frequent lecturer and author on the legal landscape of cannabis in the workplace and has been interviewed by various news outlets for his views on significant court rulings that impact this area of law.