Overview
Erik Sardiña’s practice includes all aspects of civil litigation in both federal and state courts with a particular focus on complex commercial litigation, class action and multi-district proceedings, construction matters, product liability, employment practices liability, labor and employment defense, including discrimination and whistleblower cases, antitrust and appellate practice. He also concentrates his practice on food, drug, and cosmetics litigation and compliance matters include FDA, FTC, and USDA law and regulation.
His experience includes representing public entities in civil rights litigation as well as appellate matters in the United States Supreme Court, New Jersey Supreme Court, and Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He previously completed judicial internships with then-magistrate Hon. Michael A. Shipp, U.S.D.J. in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Hon. Nestor F. Guzman, J.S.C. in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
He has contributed to several editions of New Jersey Federal Practice Rules – Annotated, a commentary to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey’s Local Rules. Mr. Sardiña is a member of the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey and the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, amongst others.
Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
- U.S. District Courts
- Eastern District of New York
- Southern District of New York
- District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- Third Circuit
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law – J.D.
- Boston College – B.A.
Professional Memberships
- New Jersey State Bar Association
- Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey – Young Lawyers Committee
- HBA-NJ American Dream Pipeline Program – mentor
- Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey
Representative Matters
GBForefront, L.P. v. Forefront Mgmt. Grp., LLC, 888 F.3d 29 (3d Cir. 2018) – revived client’s breach of contract and unjust enrichment suit and abrogated Third Circuit precedent to establish new jurisdictional requirement that the citizenship of a traditional trust is determined differently than a business trust and is based solely on the citizenship of its trustee.
Heffernan v. City of Paterson, 668 Fed. App’x 435 (3d Cir. 2016) – successfully defended the constitutionality of a municipal employee policy prohibiting overt involvement in political campaigns on remand from the Supreme Court of the United States.
- 2024, Best Lawyers in America © Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action- Defendants, Product Liability Litigation- Defendants
- Recognized in 2023 by New Jersey Super Lawyers© and “Rising Star” 2019 – 2021
- Weleda’s Partner of the Year, 2020. Weleda, Inc, founded in 1921, is a global personal care company. Awarded their single, annual Partner Award for the first time to a law firm- Kaufman Dolowich Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Practice for “exceptional legal services & dedicated business relationship”