Eric Chaffin
About Eric Chaffin
Eric T. Chaffin is the Founder and Managing Partner of Chaffin Luhana LLP, an Inc. 5000-ranked plaintiffs’ law firm with a national footprint in personal injury, product liability, and mass tort litigation. As Managing Partner, he shapes the firm’s business strategy, financial direction, and growth vision, while continuing to serve as lead trial counsel in high-impact cases across the country.
Over the course of his career, Eric has helped recover billions of dollars for individuals and families harmed by dangerous products, environmental hazards, and corporate misconduct. He has held court-appointed leadership roles in major federal and state multidistrict litigations and has successfully litigated against some of the world’s most powerful corporations. His legal work includes significant trial and appellate advocacy before U.S. Courts of Appeals and multiple state appellate courts.
Eric began his career as a corporate defense lawyer at a large international law firm before serving as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York. There, he built complex cases against criminal enterprises and corporations—a foundation that now informs his strategic approach to advocating for plaintiffs. That prosecutorial mindset—methodical, forward-thinking, and grounded in storytelling—continues to guide his work on behalf of injured clients.
A regular invited speaker on the business of law, Eric presents internationally on topics such as law firm finance, culture, strategic recruiting, and the evolving legal landscape. He also drives the firm’s innovation vision, including its early adoption of artificial intelligence, litigation finance strategies, and systems to support scalable, client-first legal service.
Raised in a blue-collar community outside of Pittsburgh, Eric was the first in his family to attend college. The son of a steelworker, he brings humility and empathy to each case and every client relationship. He is a graduate of the Gerry Spence Method and an active student of psychodrama and narrative advocacy to help uncover the emotional truths that drive compelling trial stories.
When he’s not leading trial teams or building the firm of the future, Eric can be found with his family, volunteering, or competing in endurance sports. He is a former Ironman All World Athlete and an avid cyclist, runner, and skier.
Eric splits his time between the firm’s offices in Pittsburgh and Connecticut. Under his leadership, Chaffin Luhana remains committed to delivering meaningful results and extraordinary client service—always with integrity, purpose, and compassion.
Bar Admissions
- State of New York
- State of Ohio
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- State of West Virginia
- State of Connecticut
- United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
- United States District Court, Northern District of New York
- United States District Court, Southern District of New York
- United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court, Southern District of West Virginia
- United States District Court, Northern District of West Virginia
- United States District Court, Southern Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- United States District Court, Southern Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Honors/Distinctions
- Recognized as a Super Lawyer, New York, 2010-2025
Select Successes
- Co-Lead Counsel and Co-Liaison Counsel In Re: Denture Cream Litigation, which resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in recoveries for individual plaintiffs
- Served on the plaintiff’s counsel committees in the multidistrict litigation involving defective Medtronic and Guidant heart devices in the District of Minnesota, which resulted in over $100 million and $240 million in settlements respectively
- Counsel for a California corporation in the Electronic Article Surveillance market in a David-and-Goliath type action for anti-competitive advertisements in violation of the Lanham Act in California federal court, resulting in a confidential settlement
- $17.5 million class settlement against Dell and Dell Financial on behalf of defrauded consumers who were victimized by a “bait-and-switch” financing scheme
- $9 million single product liability settlement against a product manufacturer
- $6 million settlement for leg and arm injuries against a trucking company
- $3.8 million settlement for wrongful death caused by automobile defect against an auto manufacturer
- $2.5 million settlement for workplace wrongful death
- $2 million settlement for child burned by gel fuel
- $1.5 million settlement for two investors against a broker for losses from unsuitable investments
- $1 million settlement for two individuals injured in an ATV accident
- $800,000 settlement for foot fractures from an auto accident
- $750,000 settlement for a concussion from an auto accident
- $435,000 settlement for a cervical fracture from a single-car auto crash
- $300,000 settlement for a shoulder tear from a trucking accident
Judicial Clerkship
Honorable D. Brooks Smith
United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
(Judge Smith currently serves as Chief Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals)
Education
W&L University School of Law
J.D., cum laude
Moot Court Board Chairman; John W. Davis Scholarship; Moot Court Winner of Best Brief and Runner-up for Best Oral Advocate; U.S. Attorney Externship (tried three federal jury trials to verdict)
West Virginia University
B.A., summa cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa, University Honors Scholar; Arts & Sciences Scholar; Judith Herndon Fellow; Debate Team Captain; Founder, WVU Chapter, Habitat for Humanity
Areas of Practice
Professional Affiliations
- American Association for Justice
- Leaders Forum, AAJ
- Pennsylvania Association for Justice
- Board of Governors, PAJ (2016-2020)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association
- West Virginia Association for Justice
- Injury Board
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates
Publications & Lectures
- Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Prosecutions & Trial Advocacy Clinic
- Lecturer, EndDD.org Anti-Distracted Driving at various high schools in West Virginia and Pennsylvania
- Lecturer, Off-label Marketing of Pharmaceutical Drugs and Medical Devices, Albany Law School
- Author, “De-Escalate the Expert Discovery Wars,” AAJ Trial Magazine (June 2008)
- Author, “Higher Education Law: The Relationship with the Faculty,” The Law of Higher Education, Pa. Bar. Inst. (1997)
- Author, “Review of Third Circuit Antitrust Cases (May 1993-May 1995),” 1001 Antitrust Challenges in the 90’s: Enforcement Reaches New Heights, Pa. Bar. Inst. (1995)
- Legal expert appearances in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC’s” Good Morning America,” CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” Lawline.com, Court Radio, Fox Radio, KDKA News Radio, and various Pittsburgh radio and television news affiliates.
- Featured Author, The Legal Examiner
Philanthropy
- Team Reeve, NYC Marathon 2019
- Trustee, Chaffin Luhana Foundation
- Founder, Chaffin Luhana Foundation’s 10k Sandwiches