Overview
Elyse D. Echtman is a skilled trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience trying and resolving complex commercial and product liability matters. Her practice focuses not only on defending companies in litigation but also on advising clients on ways to quickly resolve disputes. Elyse’s trial experience enables her to develop targeted litigation strategies even when handling cases likely to settle, avoiding unnecessary and costly motion and discovery practice where possible. A strong team leader, Elyse successfully partners with clients and other professionals to execute innovative litigation strategies.
Recognized by Chambers USA, clients praise Elyse saying "she's very good at working with clients, recognizing their needs and making sure that they're met." Echoing these remarks, Elyse is also described as being "good on her feet in court, writes excellent briefs and thinks strategically."
Elyse has experience representing clients across a wide range of industries and case types. Clients rely on Elyse for her ability to immerse herself in the relevant details of their products and services, as well as her unique blend of pragmatism, imagination, and advocacy.
- New York
- US Supreme Court
- US Tax Court
- US District Court, District of Colorado
- US District Court, District of Columbia
- US District Court, Central District of Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court, District of New Mexico
- US District Court, Eastern District of New York
- US District Court, Northern District of New York
- US District Court, Southern District of New York
- US District Court, Western District of New York
- US District Court, Western District of Tennessee
- US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- J.D., New York University School of Law, 1993
- B.A., Cornell University, 1990, with distinction in all subjects
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
- Represented Revlon in trade secret misappropriation litigation in the Southern District of New York against a competitor in the fragrance industry and former fragrance business employees.
- Represent an expedited shipping company in litigation in the District of Delaware alleging trade secret misappropriation and tortious interference with contract against a competitor, while spearheading a parallel arbitration proceeding against the client’s former employee. Obtained a preliminary injunction in aid of arbitration against the former employee enforcing post-employment restrictive covenants.
- Represent Mead Johnson Nutrition in its defense of product liability claims involving preterm infant nutrition products, including MDL 3026 pending in the Northern District of Illinois.
- National counsel to ANI Pharmaceuticals in its defense of product liability litigation involving its generic Zantac (ranitidine) product, including MDL 2924 pending in the Southern District of Florida.
- Represent DISH Network in SGCI Holdings v. FCC, pending in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants formed a conspiracy to discriminate against them based on plaintiff Soohyung Kim's race, which derailed Standard General's petition to the FCC for approval to acquire TEGNA's broadcast television stations.
- Obtained a swift dismissal with prejudice for DISH Network in litigation brought by the Pac-12 Network in Colorado state court. Pac-12 alleged that DISH had improperly claimed multiple years of rebates under the parties' agreement. The state court fully endorsed DISH’s contract interpretation and rebate calculations.
- Represented DISH Network and Sling TV in a declaratory judgment, breach of contract, and copyright infringement action in the Southern District of New York against Asia TV, a provider of television programming content from South Asia. Elyse obtained a preliminary injunction against Asia TV, preventing termination of the parties’ contracts, maintaining the status quo, and requiring Asia TV to continue to provide its television programming to DISH.
- Represented DISH Network in the ground-breaking AutoHop DVR litigation adverse to all four major broadcast networks, which reinforced the fair use rights of US consumers to time-shift and place-shift their television viewing, as well as skip over commercials.
- Represented DISH Network at trial in one of the highest stakes telemarketing cases in the nation, which was brought by the United States government (specifically, the FTC) and the states of California, Illinois, North Carolina, and Ohio seeking civil penalties upward of $23 billion.
- Regularly counsel and defend clients in connection with Telephone Consumer Protection Act claims, including defense of large-scale class actions.
- Represented a major European telecommunications company in multiple UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings.
- Led Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) successful defense of claims by seven plaintiffs represented by Mark Lanier who alleged J&J's talcum powder products contain asbestos and thus violated California Proposition 65 warning requirements. Obtained a ruling requiring that the plaintiffs pay J&J’s attorneys' fees as a condition of voluntary dismissal.
- Obtained a dismissal with prejudice on a motion to dismiss for J&J against a consumer class action complaint in the Southern District of California alleging that J&J misled consumers in connection with its marketing of talc products.
- Successfully obtained an early summary judgment ruling in a California state court action alleging that talcum products manufactured by J&J and others contained lead, arsenic, and chromium without a warning.
- Represented American Cyanamid Company as national counsel in litigation concerning lead pigment in paint. These cases included actions by individuals, some framed as putative class actions, and actions initiated by various State and local governments, such as the State of Rhode Island, the City of Chicago, certain New Jersey municipalities, and certain California Counties and municipalities.
- Represented Nintendo at trial in a patent dispute at the International Trade Commission related to the Nintendo Wii. Defeated Mark Lanier, with a complete victory for Nintendo.
- Represented DHL as national counsel in wide-ranging commercial litigation relating to DHL Express (USA) Inc.'s decision to cease offering domestic-only shipping services in the United States, handling those matters pending in the New York courts. This representation also included the defense of a putative class action brought in the Western District of New York (successfully defeating attempts at class certification), as well as state false claims act cases brought in multiple states.
- Second-chaired the successful trial defense of a United States Trustee in Federal Bankruptcy Court in a multi-faceted real estate partnership dispute, affirmed by the Southern District of New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
News & Publications
Press Releases
December 3, 2024
Press Releases
October 30, 2023
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 25 Practice, 72 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2023
June 1, 2023
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 27 Practice, 72 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2022
June 3, 2022
Press Releases
Steptoe Welcomes Distinguished Trial Lawyer Elyse Echtman to Leading Commercial Litigation Practice
February 1, 2022
Events
Noteworthy
- Chambers USA, Band 4, New York, Litigation: General Commercial (2022-2024)
- Chambers USA, Band 5, New York, Litigation: General Commercial (2021-2022)
Previous Employment
- Special Assistant District Attorney, Kings County District Attorney's Office, Homicide Bureau (1998 secondment)
Professional Affiliations
- Federal Bar Council