Eric M. Underriner

Eric M. Underriner is Of Counsel in our Alpharetta and Atlanta offices and works closely with our offices in both New York and New Jersey. With over 30 years of litigation and professional liability claims experience, he specializes in construction defect and professional negligence litigation. He routinely represents property owners; general contractors; subcontractors; design professionals and materials vendors in construction claims; as well as architects, engineers, accountants, lawyers and insurance brokers/agents in professional negligence matters.

Eric began his career in public service as a Deputy Attorney General (DAG) with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office in its Tort Litigation Division. In this role he defended state employees and agencies against personal injury lawsuits brought under the NJ Tort Claims Act. After five years as a DAG, Eric left public employment for the private sector but continued his public service as a per diem attorney with the New Jersey Public Defender’s Office in Trenton, New Jersey.

After leaving full-time public employment, Eric expanded his litigation practice to include commercial and business matters and spent more than 12 years working with regional and boutique firms in New York and New Jersey. During this period, he handled countless litigations and tried numerous commercial and complex personal injury cases in both state and federal courts.

Eric returned to public service full-time having received an appointment as a Process Improvement Specialist with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Risk Management. In this new role, Eric assessed and improved the State’s tort, workers’ compensation, and subrogation claims handling functions, with an emphasis on construction issues. In this role, he developed improved claims handling and litigation oversight processes and procedures, culminating in the successful implementation of new uniform claims handling and subrogation guidelines.

After completing his assignment in New Jersey, Eric leveraged his litigation and claims experience as the Chief Claims Officer for two Medical Professional Liability Insurance carriers.

Eric earned a Juris Doctor from Boston University’s School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. He resides in Marietta with his wife and son

In the Press

HBS Adds Three Attorneys in Atlanta

June 9, 2021

ATLANTA - June 9, 2021 - Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is pleased to welcome three new attorneys to the firm’s Atlanta headquarters office as it adds new talent to meet growing client needs. Partner James E. “Jim” Gilson specializes in high-exposure trial litigation for catastrophic injury, premises liability, insurance and transportation tort claims. For