Los Angeles Office
Partner
213.630.1063
213.623.6336 fax
jeiler@murchisonlaw.com
Add to My Contacts

Bar Admissions

• California, 1987
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court Central District of California
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Education

• Western State University College of Law, Fullerton, California (J.D., 1986)
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (B.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, 1983)

James O. Eiler

James O. Eiler is a Partner in Murchison & Cumming, LLP’s Los Angeles office and serves as a Co-Chair of the Hospitality Law practice group. Through the span of nearly 30 years, Mr. Eiler has become one of California’s most recognized hospitality law attorneys. Having represented a variety of claims including general negligence, premises liability, food borne illness and foreign objects, Legionella and other toxic torts, civil rights, ADA, franchise litigation and many more, Mr. Eiler understands the full spectrum of the hospitality space.

Mr. Eiler grew up in the hotel and restaurant industry in Las Vegas. With a father who helped open the Stardust Hotel in 1958 and a mother who was employed at the Sands Hotel, he has worked nearly every department there is in the hotel industry. Mr. Eiler has more than 10 years of hotel operations experience, even working full time during his first year of law school as a front office manager for a resort hotel in Anaheim, California.

Mr. Eiler’s clients value his “big picture” approach and ability to zero in on the details of the case that might otherwise go unnoticed. Mr. Eiler enjoys training his clients and their staff, adjusters and carriers of hospitality legal issues bringing his very distinct perspective, so when an issue arises their team can respond effectively and hopefully stay out of litigation. Mr. Eiler also works closely with his hospitality clients in risk avoidance and management issues as part of the overall team effort to help keep his hospitality clients out of litigation, but be ready if litigation arises.

A sought after author and speaker, Mr. Eiler brings his years of experience as a thought leader and industry expert to the Hospitality Law community. As an active participant in several key trade industry associations, he also helps shape regulations and legislation affecting the hospitality industries on an ongoing basis. Most recently, Mr. Eiler was the recipient of the 2017 Anthony G. Marshall Hospitality Law Award.

Mr. Eiler is an adjunct professor on Hospitality Law at California State University Long Beach and is a former Adjunct Professor of Hospitality Law for the William F. Harrah School of Hotel Management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, dedicating much of his career to mentoring young lawyers as his way of giving back to the legal profession.

A graduate of University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a B.S. in Hotel & Restaurant Administration, Mr. Eiler continued onto law school at Western State University College of Law where he was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for Contracts, profiled in Who's Who in American Law, and was on the National Dean's List.

When not at the office, Mr. Eiler enjoys teaching, traveling with his family, baseball and college sports, museums, and attending his sons’ lacrosse games.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• 2017 Anthony G. Marshall Hospitality Law Award Recipient
• NRRDA (National Restaurant & Retail Defense Association)
• Global Alliance of Travel Tourism Hospitality Attorneys
• CLM (Claims Litigation Management)-Hospitality and Retail Group
• AHIA (Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys)
• HIBA (Hospitality Industry Bar Association) - Charter Member
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
• FIRMA (Food Industry Risk Manager Association) - Past General Counsel
• California Hotel and Lodging and Association
  • Member of Government Affairs and Law Committee
• Allied Member of:
  • American Hotel & Lodging Association
  •  National Restaurant Association
  • California Restaurant Association
• Adjunct professor of Hospitality Law at California State University, Long Beach School of Hospitality Management
  • Member of the Advisory Board of School of Hospitality Management
• Defense Research Institute
  • Member, Hospitality, Restaurant, and Retail
• UNLV Hotel Alumni Association
• American Bar Association
• Los Angeles County Bar Association