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J. Christopher Erb, Esq.

J. Christopher Erb is an attorney and shareholder with the Erb Law Firm, PC. His primary practice areas include corporate and contract law for international and domestic corporations, as well as business immigration and internet law issues.

Chris graduated from the Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, PA, and has completed additional coursework at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic and Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. He has a bachelor's degree in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University, and prior to law school was systems administrator and engineer with a technical documentation firm in Munich, Germany. He is also a graduate of Devon Preparatory School, Devon PA.

After law school, Chris joined Dechert LLP in Philadelphia as an associate, where he worked on a number of domestic and international litigation matters. He left Dechert for the international practice group of Reed Smith Shaw & McClay. There he structured and formed corporations, drafted contracts and agreements, advised on both inbound and outbound international trade and transactions, advised on computer and e-commerce matters, and prepared and filed business visa petitions.

Chris speaks fluent German and has traveled extensively in mainland Europe. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the German-American Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Union League of Philadelphia.

Chris has published and presented on a number of different topics, including guest lecturing for the Drexel University Arts Administration Graduate Program and writing a course on Immigration Law for the ABA-Approved Paralegal Studies Program at Community College of Philadelphia. He also serves as adjunct faculty at the Temple University School of Law where he teaches Business Immigration Law, one of only a handful of such courses in the country.

Chris is a participating attorney with Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Chris also serves on the North Light Community Center's Golf Committee for the Annual Golf Tournament.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys traveling, spending time with his family and working on his beer blog, Brew Ha-Ha.

Contact Information

To contact Chris, e-mail or call 215.508.4419, ext. 306.

J. Christopher Erb

presentations | courses | publications | press | awards

upPresentations

• Immigration Law for Artists, Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts' Guest Lecture Program for the Drexel University Arts Administration Graduate Program (June 12, 2006)

• SGML and HTML - the basis of the World Wide Web, Philadelphia, PA, presentation to the members of the Union League Computer Club (November 14, 2001)

• Accessing the US Market, Munich, Germany - presentation in German to Software Campus, an educational initiative sponsored by the State of Bavaria, in German (September 2000)

upCourses

• Cybersquatting, Cybergripes and Other Perils to Your Domain Name, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (planned, August 9, 2006)

• Business Immigration Law, Adjunct Professor, Temple University School of Law (Spring semesters 2004, 2005 and 2006)

• Immigration Law for Paralegals (written course), Community College of Philadelphia (2006)

upPublications

• Getting an edge in web marketing, Pennsylvania Bar Association Solo and Small Practice Section News, Vol 17, No 4 (Fall 2001)

• Cap's Up! Hiring the H-1B Visa Non-Immigrant Specialist, with Jean Dorton, ACCA Docket 19, no. 7 (July 2001): 18-39 (available online!)

• So You Want to Be an International Lawyer? Student Lawyer magazine, Volume 29, Number 5 (January 2001)

• Visa Alternatives for Business Travelers, German American Trade, Volume 11, Number 9 (September 2000)

• Facsimiles as Writings, The DataLaw Report (July 1997)

• Disabling Devices in Software: Permissible or Impermissible Licensor Behavior, The DataLaw Report (November 1996) (available online!)

upPress

• When Baby's On Board, American Bar Association Journal (November 2002)

• Upside to tech downturn: Surge in immigration law, by Jeremy Feiler, Philadelphia Business Journal, Vol 20 No 50 (February 1-7, 2002) (available online!)

upAwards

• 2006 Outstanding Volunteer for Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts' Guest Lecture Program for the Drexel University Arts Administration Graduate Program

• Bronze Medal, Letterhead Design for The Erb Law Firm, PC, Neenah Paper PAPERWORKS Competition, Eastern Division (November 2002)