Erin Lucas Hamilton

Area of Emphasis
Erin Hamilton is a shareholder in Babst Calland’s Litigation Group. Ms. Hamilton advises and represents businesses in the full spectrum of legal disputes and problems affecting business such as those involving commercial contracts, employment matters, product liability claims, class action defense, corporate governance, real estate disputes, insurance coverage, alleged fraud and various tort and statutory based claims. Her experience spans a wide variety of industries, including but (not limited to) energy and natural resources, aviation, engineering, construction, manufacturing, technology, professional sports, banking, insurance and financial services.

Ms. Hamilton’s practice involves litigating complex commercial disputes in all phases from initial pleadings through trial and appeal. Her clients also rely on her to provide legal counsel on best business practices, risk mitigation and legal and regulatory compliance as well as to trouble-shoot legal and business challenges as they arise on a day-to-day basis.

In addition, Ms. Hamilton has significant experience advising and litigating relative to employment matters including the defense of discrimination and harassment claims as well as defending and prosecuting restrictive covenant, non-competition/solicitation, trade secret misappropriation and employee/executive employment contract disputes.

Background
Ms. Hamilton received her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 2004 and her B.S. in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University in 2001. Prior to joining Babst Calland, she worked for eight years at a highly regarded litigation boutique followed by more than 10 years in the litigation section of a national law firm.

Memberships and Affiliations
Ms. Hamilton is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. She is also admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of North Dakota and the Eastern District of Michigan.

Ms. Hamilton is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA) and currently serves as an elected governor on its Board of Governors. She has held several key leadership positions in the ACBA including the Chair of the Civil Litigation Section, the Chair of the Publications Committee as well as the Chair of the Young Lawyer’s Division. She recently held the Editor-In-Chief position of both the Pittsburgh Legal Journal and the Lawyers Journal for over seven years. In addition, Ms. Hamilton is a teaching assistant at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and currently serves as legal counsel for the annual Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books.

In 2013, Ms. Hamilton was selected by The Legal Intelligencer as one of only 38 “Lawyers on the Fast Track” in Pennsylvania. This recognition is given to attorneys under the age of 40 who have demonstrated excellence in four categories: development of the law, advocacy and community contributions, service to the bar and peer/public recognition. In addition, Ms. Hamilton was selected to the 2012-2019 Pennsylvania Rising Stars lists (Thomson Reuters) and was the 2014 recipient of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s “Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year” and the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division “Star of the Quarter” Award. In addition, she is an Allegheny County Bar Foundation Fellow and Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Young Lawyer Life Fellow.

Publications/Presentations
  • Moderator, “Gavel to Gavel: Updates from the Bench,” Allegheny County Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, June 16, 2023.
  • Organizer and Moderator, “Reflections from the Bench on the Fall 2021 Trial Term and Impacts on the Winter 2022 Trial Term” Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Winter CLE, December 2021.
  • Organizer and Moderator, “Taking an Appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court” Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Spring CLE, April 2019.
  • Organizer and Moderator, “Everything You Want to Know About the Civil Division But Are Afraid to Ask” CLE at 2017 Allegheny County Bar Association Bench Bar Conference.
  • Organizer and Moderator, “Settlement Strategies” Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Winter CLE, December 2015.
  • Organizer and Moderator, “Practicing Sports Law in the 21st Century” CLE at American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Spring 2014 National Conference.
  • Organizer and Moderator, “Practicing in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania” Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Lunch & Learn Series, January 2014.