Client Representation Philosophy
Eric C. Lang’s General Background
Helping people we care about solve problems and achieve goals is more than just a “ten-word” mission statement. I believe that every legal matter presents a problem, the solution to which depends entirely on defining goals. If the problem is a $50,000 lawsuit, and a win costs $100,000, then winning might not be the solution. When client and counsel focus on a goal and not just an outcome, everyone can win.
After graduating first in his law school class from the University of Florida in 1990, Mr. Lang practiced with Long, Aldridge & Norman (n/k/a Dentons). He left partnership there in 1998 to join Paul Hastings and formed his current firm in 2003. His practice is devoted to serving the business-related litigation and general counseling needs of companies and individuals who desired sophisticated services but were outside of the target market of the larger firms. He has handled a wide range of matters, ranging from multi-million-dollar litigation to simple business formation. Further details can be found on the Biography page.
EARLY 2025 HIGHLIGHTS: CLIENT SUCCESSES
Lang Legal Achieves Early Settlement of Federal Securities Claim
In Stapleton v. Bezzant, United States District Court for Northern District of Georgia, 1:25-cv-01889-JPB, Lang Legal represented an individual plaintiff alleging securities fraud based on a Ponzi-style scheme. After filing the case was immediately reported as far away as New Zealand, where some of the Defendants were locagted. The case was settled nearly immediately thereafter.
Arbitration of Construction Dispute Regarding Beachfront Home Results in Client Settlement
Though very little about the facts of the dispute may be disclosed, Lang Legal represented the homeowner-Plaintiff against the contractor hired to do extensive renovations to a house located on an undisclosed coast of an undisclosed state. The matter settled before going to hearing.
2024 HIGHLIGHTS — MAJOR VICTORIES, LAW REVIEW ARTICLE, STATE BAR PODCAST
Lang Legal (Atlanta) and Olshan (New York) Score $10.6 Million Victory for Securities Placement Agent in Dispute with Chinese Cryptocurrency Company
FT Global was hired as a placement agent by Future Fintech (NASDAQ: FTFT) under an agreement with a three-month term and a twelve month “tail period.” Two investors brought to Future Fintech by FT Global during the term ultimately invested during the tail period. Future Fintech, however, paid no fee to FT Global. FT Global sued Future Fintech, and on April 11, 2024, a jury in the Northern District of Georgia awarded FT Global $7,895,365.31 in damages for breach of contract, $1,723,136.44 in prejudgment interest, and $980,000 in attorney’s fees arising out of Future Fintech’s bad faith. Mr. Lang represented FT Global along with Olshan’s Thomas Fleming and Jacqueline Ma.
Mercer Law Review Publishes Eric Lang’s “Going Beyond Fear in Addressing Attorney Mental Health” as the Opening Paper in its Lead Articles Edition
Going Beyond Fear in Addressing Attorney Mental Health culminates a year-long effort to change the well-intentioned (and partially successful) “one size fits all” approach that the legal profession has taken to address mental health issues. The article urges three things: (a) focusing on things we can change as opposed to things we cannot; (b) drawing lines between appropriate and inappropriate areas of institutional involvement; and (c) distinguishing between the 80 percent of population who do not have potential mental illness issues and the 20 percent who do. The most novel or even controversial sections of the article reject current conventional wisdom on suicide and depression statistics in the profession. It is the only article on David Foster Wallace, Pete Davidson, Bill James, the Book of Exodus, a Rolling Stone review of a Supertramp Album, and a Petula Clark song that is not “Downtown.”
Eric Lang Joins State Bar of Georgia’s Lawyers Living Well Podcast to Discuss Attorney Discipline and Mental Health
As a result of State Bar of Georgia General Counsel Paula Frederick identifying Eric Lang’s research as being unique in the area of attorney mental health and the discipline process, Eric was invited as a guest on the Bar’s Lawyers Living Well podcast. You can hear about that subject and others by checking out the podcast itself.
American Bar Association Publishes Eric Lang’s Essay on Suicide in Nationally Released Book
The American Bar Association’s Woman Advocate Committee recently published Her Story (2): The Resilient Woman Lawyer’s Guide to Conquering Obstacles, a wide ranging collection of essays on the challenges of being a woman practicing law. Eric Lang was asked to contribute an essay on suicide. Why? The lead editor explained: The book contains essays from women lawyers from various backgrounds but also includes a few essays from male lawyers. What was the thinking behind that? “In some cases, it was because we had a lack of authors on the subject. We tried to get women, for example, on the subject of suicide. It turns out the person who could write the essay for us was a guy, and we thought that was fine.” To read this and other excellent essays, purchase the book on the ABA website.
2023 HIGHLIGHTS — BIG WINS, NEW PRACTICE AREAS, VALUED SPEAKER
| Lang Legal Achieves Rare Appellate Reversal of Jury Verdict | New Practice Area Announced and Achieves First Victory — Attorney Discipline Defense for Lawyers with Mental Health Concerns |
| In Grae Hospitality LLC v. LL Atlanta LLC, Lang Legal was hired after the client (Grae) lost a $750,000 jury verdict and after unsuccessful post-verdict motions. Adding to the challenge of seeking to overturn a jury’s verdict on appeal was the contention that trial counsel had not moved for directed verdict or preserved other possible objections. We succeed in convincing the Court of Appeals of Georgia that “under the circumstances of this case, the evidence did not support the jury’s breach of contract verdict. | This year, Lang Legal began representing clients in a very narrow but important niche: attorneys navigating the State Bar’s disciplinary process as a result of actions taken while dealing with mental health issues. Eric Lang is perhaps the leading expert on this issue in the state (as explained by the State Bar’s General Counsel at 23:55 in this podcast) so it was a natural expansion of his practice. The first case (In re Matteson) was a success, achieving a nunc pro tunc treatment of suspension for the client. |
| Eric Lang’s Expert Opinion on Attorney Mental Health Featured in ALM’s Daily Report Commentary, Going Beyond Fear: The Next Phase in Addressing Attorney Mental Health | Eric Lang Featured as Speaker on the Future of the Practice of Law at Mercer Law Review 75th Anniversary Symposium |
| As the first of a three-part initiative to take the legal community’s approach on mental health into its next phase, this column outlines what is to come in a January 2024 essay being published by the ABA and very detailed Law Review article coming in April. The thesis: we have spent too much time on fear and numbers and not enough time addressing those at the higher levels of risk. | During the 2023-24 academic year, the Mercer Law Review is commemorating its 75th anniversary. Their theme: A Course of Action: Shaping the Next 75 Years: “Challenges and Solutions in the Practice of Law.” Eric Lang was invited to be one of the four members of the profession who spoke at the symposium lectures and will be published in the law review. Eric spoke on, and will be publishing on putting fear behind us as we approach the challenges relating to attorney mental health. |
What You Should Hire Me To Do
My primary skillset is litigating and trying disputes over money. I generally perform three types of work in this discipline.
Serving as lead counsel in complex litigation. Most of the cases discussed on this website fall into this category.
Being a member of a team fighting complex litigation — anything from writing briefs on motions, handling discrete portions of a case (such as handling an appeal, like in the GRAE case, discussed above), serving as local counsel (such as in the FT Global matter, also discussed above), or any other consultative role.
The final litigation area is Small Cases Program, designed for cases under $100,000. Read more by following the menu link above or below.
The second skillset is “litigation prevention.” Clients ask me to apply my experience in matters where things have gone wrong to help them avoid expensive litigation. That is detailed on the “Business Counseling” link.
Third, I have finally taken the advice of a large number of colleagues and am making myself available to mediate business and contract disputes. I have place some questions and answers about that on the “Mediation” page.
Finally, I am available to speak and consult on attorney mental health. I have reached thousands of attorneys on this important topic and would be both honored and grateful if you would ask me to speak with your organization.