Eric P. VanderPloeg

Eric VanderPloeg is a Partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. and serves as Vice Chair of the Firm's Automotive Franchise group. Eric is a member of the Firm's Automotive Franchise, Litigation, and Consumer Financial Services Litigation practice groups.

Eric began his career as a litigator, and he has handled an array of commercial matters in both state and federal courts in several states and jurisdictions. In addition to handling disputes, Eric now also acts as general counsel to businesses in several industries, providing advice on legal matters, including contractual, employment, regulatory, and corporate governance matters.

Eric now represents clients both in and out of court in a variety of legal matters throughout the nation, including:

Automotive Dealers:

• Franchise Matters
• Termination and Relocation Protests
• Warranty and Incentive Audits
• Buy-Sells
• Vendor Contracts
• Consumer Transactions and Disputes
• Lien and Title Issues
• Labor and Employment Matters
• Corporate Governance
• Secretary of State and Attorney General Investigations

Real Estate Owners and Professionals:

• Leasing and Eviction
• Land Use and Zoning Litigation
• Title and Easement Disputes
• Purchase Disputes
• Broker and Agent Disputes
• Representation of Illinois Mobile Home Parks

Manufacturing and Sales:

• Sales and UCC Article 2 Disputes
• Sales Representative Disputes
• Collection Actions
• Supply Chain Disputes
• Carrier and Shipping Disputes
• Labor and Employment Matters

General Litigation:

• Contract Disputes
• Creditor’s Rights and Judgment Enforcement
• Bondholder and Securities Litigation
• Complex, Multi-Party Litigation
• Shareholder, Partnership and Fiduciary Disputes
• Business Divorce
• Non-Automotive Franchise Disputes

Eric was a summer associate with Burke Warren in 2011. He is admitted to practice in Illinois, including the United States District Court and United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Eric graduated summa cum laude from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a designation reserved for the top students in the class. During law school, he was awarded the 2010–2011 Honorable Thomas R. Mulroy Award for having the highest class score in Evidence and received CALI Awards for the highest class scores in Appellate Advocacy, Federal Taxation, and Corporate/Partnership Taxation. During law school, Eric served on the Editorial Board for the Loyola Law Journal and was the Executive Editor of the 2011–2012 Illinois Symposium, an issue of the Journal dedicated to topics on Illinois law and procedure.

• In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, Mr. VanderPloeg was named as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers®, an attorney rating service from Thompson Reuters. 
• During law school, Mr. VanderPloeg was awarded the 2010–2011 Honorable Thomas R. Mulroy Award in Evidence and received CALI awards in Appellate Advocacy, Federal Taxation, and Corporate/Partnership Taxation. He was the Executive Editor of the Loyola Law Journal’s 2011–2012 Illinois Symposium, an issue dedicated to topics on Illinois law and procedure. 

• Mr. VanderPloeg is a member of the Chicago Bar Association. He has also represented clients pro bono through the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services of Chicago. 
• Mr. VanderPloeg was accepted as a member of the National Association of Dealer Counsel (NADC), a national organization that provides industry specific education and information to attorneys representing automotive dealers. VanderPloeg joins firm attorneys, Bill Kelly, Ira Levin, and Jay Statland, who are all existing NADC members. As NADC members, Burke Warren's attorneys have access to a vast network of industry contacts and resources, which allows the firm to provide superior service to dealers in Illinois and throughout the nation.