Atty. Eric Chan
Eric Chan is a technology enthusiast and trial lawyer who represents clients in complex litigation and arbitration on behalf of providers. He has deep experience representing healthcare providers in managed care disputes, having recovered tens of millions of dollars in underpayments and nonpayments on behalf of providers.
Intellectual Property & More Attorney · Serving San Francisco, CA · 19+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Eric Chan at a Glance
Eric Chan is a Principal based in San Francisco, California, practicing at Athene Law, LLP. They have 19+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 2007. Their practice focuses on patent, ip, litigation, and appellate. Admitted to practice in California U.S. District Court, Central District of California registered to practice before U.S. Pa (2007). Educated at Stanford University Law School J.D. (—) and University of California at Los Angeles B.S. Cybernetics, summa cum laude (—). Serves clients in San Francisco, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Eric Chan
- Eric Chan is a technology enthusiast and trial lawyer who represents clients in complex litigation and arbitration on behalf of providers
- He has deep experience representing healthcare providers in managed care disputes, having recovered tens of millions of dollars in underpayments and nonpayments on behalf of providers
- He also defends providers in high-stakes disagreements with their health information technology (HIT) vendors
- Eric writes and speaks on a variety of issues relating to surprise billing, price transparency, the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Affordable Care Act
- He has first- chaired jury trials to verdict and has argued several cases before the California courts of appeal and the Ninth Circuit
- Eric’s practice also reflects a high degree of proficiency with technology
- He has particular expertise in the areas of electronic health records (EHR) and large-scale electronic discovery
- Prior to joining Athene Law, Eric was a partner in the litigation department of a national health care law firm, where he served as co-chair of the Recruiting Committee and co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee
- Eric also previously worked for four years at an AmLaw 100 firm, where his practice focused on patent litigation and class action defense
- From 2014 through 2020, Eric has been honored as an annual Super Lawyers® Southern California Rising Star
- He also was recognized in 2019 as a Law360 Rising Star
- Representative Matters • Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital v
- Anthem, Inc. et al., 829 Fed
- Appx. 156 (9th Cir
- Oct. 2, 2020) – obtained affirmance on appeal of judgment against Anthem and a self-funded benefit plan for directing benefit checks to the patient following emergency care rendered by an out-of-network hospital, in violation of ERISA
- The district court below, 2008 WL 3830009 (C.D
- Cal
- July 5, 2018), had ordered the defendants to pay the hospital even though over $700,000 worth of checks had already been deposited by the patients. • Plum v
- MatrixCare, Inc. (San Diego Superior Court, 2019) – obtained temporary restraining order against EHR vendor who shut off access to crucial data feed needed to ensure quality control and health & safety of patients
- The matter ultimately settled. • Applied General Agency v
- Chinese Community Health Plan, 2019 WL 949258 (California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, February 27, 2019 (unpub.)) – obtained affirmance of ruling denying request for millions of dollars in attorney’s fees sought by plaintiff. • Applied General Agency v
- Chinese Community Health Plan (Orange County Superior Court, 2017) – successfully defended provider-owned community health plan in three-week jury trial against breach of contract claims
- The jury awarded just one-sixth of the damages sought by the plaintiff and effectively cut off plaintiff’s right to seek future commissions. • Downey Surgical Clinic, Inc. v
- Optuminsight, Inc., 2016 WL 5938722 (C.D
- Cal., settled 2016) - Represented class of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) against United Healthcare, Ingenix (now Optum), and numerous self-funded ERISA health benefit plans regarding out-of-network payments
- Reached class settlement for $9.5 million for the benefit of California ASCs affected by defendants' low-payment practices. • Successfully defended academic health system against $50 million arbitration demand brought by national EHR vendor for breach of contract relating to software licensing and managed IT services. (AAA Arbitration, 2015.) • Successfully obtained hardship exceptions from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for both Eligible Hospitals (EHs) and Eligible Professionals (EPs), thus avoiding millions of dollars in penalties under the Promoting Interoperability (formerly Meaningful Use) program and under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
- Recent Publications • Another Kind of Medical Shock, Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, April 2020 • Beyond ERISA Assignments of Benefits: A New Path for Healthcare Providers as Authorized Representatives that Leaves Patients Out of the Dispute, California Health Law News, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2, Fall 2019 Recent Speaking Engagements • Looking Back and Looking Ahead — What’s in Store for the Rest of 2019 (October 8, 2019) Wolters-Kluwer Webinar (price transparency) • ERISA: An Introduction (March 26, 2018) Healthcare Financial Management Association, Northern California Chapter Spring Conference • Nobody Knew Healthcare Could Be So Complicated (May 18, 2017) Los Angeles County Bar Association, Healthcare Law Section • ERISA and Managed Care (March 15, 2017) Southwestern Law School, Health Law Seminar Education Eric received his B.S. degree in Cybernetics, summa cum laude, from University of California at Los Angeles
- He received his J.D. degree from Stanford University, where he was Co-Editor-In-Chief of Stanford Technology Law Review and a Student Fellow in the Stanford Cyberlaw Clinic
- After graduation, he clerked for the Hon. Mariana R. Pfaelzer of the U.S
- District Court for the Central District of California
- Professional Affiliations • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), Co-chair, Health Law Committee • American Bar Association, Health Law Section, member • California Society for Healthcare Attorneys, member • Healthcare Financial Management Association, member • Judge Paul R. Michel Intellectual Property American Inn of Court (2007-2013), Member • Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member, Healthcare Section and Diversity in the Profession Committee • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA), Lifetime Member
Practice Areas Explained
Eric Chan's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Eric Chan handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in San Francisco.
Patent Law in San Francisco
Eric Chan is one of 20,632 patent attorneys indexed nationally. Browse patent attorneys in California →
Intellectual Property in San Francisco
IP attorneys protect inventions, brands, and creative work through patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade-secret enforcement.
Eric Chan is one of 105,285 ip attorneys indexed nationally. Browse ip attorneys in California →
Civil Litigation in San Francisco
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Eric Chan is one of 450,751 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in California →
Appellate Practice in San Francisco
Appellate attorneys for civil and criminal appeals at state and federal court.
Eric Chan is one of 85,572 appellate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse appellate attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in San Francisco
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in San Francisco are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
San Francisco Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a San Francisco-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in San Francisco or all attorneys in California.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in San Francisco Choose Eric Chan
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Eric Chan's practice in the field of patent, ip, litigation, and appellate.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Eric Chan brings 19+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering patent, ip, and litigation, Eric Chan can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in San Francisco
A San Francisco-based practice means Eric Chan attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues Eric Chan Handles in San Francisco
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters Eric Chan has experience with under California law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact Eric Chan directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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Eric Chan's Practice Areas & Specializations
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