Biography
Eric P. Markus is a partner at Dapeer, Rosenblit & Litvak, LLP and focuses his practice on complex commercial and municipal litigation, from pre-filing dispute resolution and negotiations through all phases of the administrative and court processes, including at trial and appeal. He has represented over 50 governmental entities on land use and real-estate related issues, constitutional rights, and nuisance abatement, as well as dozens of national and international business entities and high net-worth individuals in partnership and employment disputes and in regard to corporate governance and business growth and development. Eric also devotes a portion of his practice to assisting victims of housing discrimination, abuse, and tenant harassment.
Over the past 13 years, Eric has served as counsel in numerous cases that have gone to verdict and has obtained favorable out-of-court resolutions in upwards of 100 matters. Among others, Eric acted as trial co-counsel for the defendant in a $27 million breach of contract action in which Eric’s client obtained a complete defense verdict after trial, which was affirmed on appeal. Eric also served as litigation counsel for a commercial landowner in Los Angeles in a series of lawsuits regarding the ground lease for the Standard Hollywood Hotel, in which Eric’s services and advice were critical in obtaining an order with a net monetary value of approximately $90 million. In subsequent related litigation, Eric obtained summary judgment (affirmed on appeal) against a media company that claimed possessory rights in the Hotel property. Eric also obtained a multi-million dollar settlement for his client in a contract dispute stemming from the failed acquisition of an aerospace defense company.
In the area of municipal law, Eric has served as lead trial counsel and trial co-counsel on numerous cases in both state and federal courts, including on behalf of Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Culver City, Malibu, West Hollywood, and Malibu, among others, in matters ranging from code enforcement, land use and zoning, to civil rights defense. Mr. Markus served a lead counsel in the matter of Norco v. Mugar (2020) 59 Cal.App.5th 786, in which the Court of Appeal held that the government’s use of private prosecutors was constitutional. Mr. Markus also represented the City of Sierra Madre before the California Supreme Court in the matter of City of Sierra Madre v. SunTrust Mortgage, Inc. (2019) 32 Cal.App.5th 648 (review denied).
Eric graduated from Southern Methodist University and California Western School of Law, where he worked as clinical intern with the California Innocence Project and assisted in the handling of the investigation of the murder convictions of Kimberly Long and Reggie Cole, which were subsequently overturned.