Practice Focus
Eric Poehlmann handles product liability, insurance defense and coverage, professional liability, and general commercial litigation matters before federal and state courts. He has tried numerous jury cases to verdict, and numerous cases to judgment before the courts. In addition, Eric has prepared and argued appeals before the Vermont Supreme Court and federal Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Significant Matters
In his eleven years of practice with Downs Rachlin Martin, Eric has been involved in a number of high-profile trials and matters. For example, Eric was a principal member of the litigation team that successfully challenged the State of Vermont’s attempts to apply its land use law (Act 250) to a local rail carrier, prevailing at the trial court level and on appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Eric has successfully tried various commercial cases before state and federal courts, including defending a high-profile attorney in a legal malpractice case in state court, an out-of-state manufacturer in a substantial breach of contract case, a foreign manufacturer of saunas in a wrongful death suit brought in state court and that same manufacturer in a property damage case brought in Massachusetts.
Professional Activities
Eric served as first vice president of the Northern New England Defense Counsel Association (now the Tri-State Defense Lawyers Association), a professional organization for defense counsel practicing in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and an affiliate organization of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), whose membership includes more than 20,000 attorneys committed to the defense of civil litigation claims.
Community Involvement
Eric is on the board of directors of Woodbury College in Montpelier.
Reported Cases
Green Mountain Railroad Corp. v. Vermont, 404 F.3d 638 (2d Cir. 2005) (federal preemption)
Cigna Ins. Co. v. Oy Saunat ec, Ltd., 241 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2001) (product liability)
White v. Quechee Lakes Landowners’ Ass’n., Inc., 170 Vt. 25 (1999) (indemnification)
Southface Condominium Owners Ass’n., Inc. v. Southface Condominium Ass’n., Inc., 169 Vt.
243 (1999) (lender liability)
Moffitt v. Icynene, Inc., 407 F.Supp.2d 591 (D.Vt. 2005) (product liability)
Macia v. Microsoft Corp., 152 F. Supp.2d 535 (D. Vt. 2001) (intellectual property)
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