Collin Vierra is a stakeholder in Eimer Stahl’s San Jose office. His practice focuses on complex trial and appellate litigation including in the areas of antitrust, privacy, environmental law, products liability, and commercial disputes.
Collin has ample experience in both state and federal court, before major arbitral tribunals including the ICC and JAMS, and with all aspects of litigation. Collin has defended Fortune 500 companies in consumer class actions, multi-district litigations (MDL), and Judicial Council Coordination Proceedings (JCCP). Collin has also defended these companies in civil and criminal investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and state Attorneys General.
Collin also has extensive experience managing complex strategy and discovery issues, including in MDL actions and civil and criminal investigations. Collin has given CLEs on discovery issues, and his legal commentary has been featured in publications such as Law360.
Collin brings his strong background in engineering, technology, and economics to bear in representing his clients. Collin holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he was a member of the Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honors Society and an engineering apprentice in the Pappalardo Laboratory. Collin also holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Stanford University where he was a Gregory Terrill Cox Fellow in the John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics. Collin obtained his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.
Experience
Case Experience
Antitrust
In re Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation (MDL) – Representing various companies in antitrust action to recover for overpayments made to railroads as a result of price-fixing conspiracy.
In re Crop Inputs Antitrust Litigation (MDL) – Defending Canadian agricultural cooperative in multi-district litigation alleging conspiracy to keep certain crop inputs electronic platforms out of the U.S. market.
Mortgage Industry Arbitration (AAA) – Represented mortgage servicing company in arbitration involving competing claims of anticompetitive conduct in violation of Sherman Act and California Unfair Competition Law.
Products Liability
Climate Change Litigation (1st Cir.; 2d Cir.; 4th Cir.; 9th Cir.; U.S. Supreme Court) – Defending major petroleum refiner, transporter, and marketer in series of government actions seeking to hold certain oil and gas producers liable for alleged effects of climate change.
In re JUUL Labs, Inc., Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation (MDL, JCCP) – Defended world’s leading e-cigarette manufacturer in hundreds of putative class actions and related investigations alleging product defects and violations of consumer protection laws.
Consumer Products Investigations (N.D. Cal., FDA, FTC) – Defended consumer products company in investigations by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into advertising practices.
Commercial Disputes
Chemical Industry Arbitrations (ICC) – Representing multinational chemical corporation in series of commercial arbitrations regarding contract disputes at chemical production sites, with claims totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
Riverbed Technologies, Inc. v. Scottish Equity Partners (Cal. Super. Ct.; Cal. Ct. App.) – Represented information technology company in action to recover restitution for class action judgment overturned on appeal.
Securities Litigation
Slack Technologies, Inc. Securities, Shareholder, and Derivative Litigation (Cal. Super. Ct.; Del. Ct. Chancery; D. Del.; N.D. Cal.; 9th Cir.) – Defended leading technology company in first-of-its-kind litigation relating to its direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Consumer Products Investigation (SEC) – Defended consumer products company in investigations by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into statements made in private offering materials.
Environmental Law
Green Energy Industry Investigation (E.D. Cal.) – Defended leading green energy company in environmental investigation by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into wind farm operations.
Governmental Challenges, Third-Party Defense & Advocacy
County of Dane v. Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Wis. Cir. Ct.; Wis. Ct. App.; Wis. Supreme Court) – Successfully appealed to Wisconsin Supreme Court to quash subpoena of former public commissioner; Wisconsin Supreme Court found that alleged “appearance of bias” did not state cognizable claim for Due Process violation under U.S. and Wisconsin Supreme Court precedents.
Homeaway.com, Inc. v. Palm Beach County (S.D. Fla.) – Represented vacation rental marketplace in series of challenges to local and state ordinances regulating short-term rental properties.
Cal. Bus. & Indus. Alliance v. Bonta (Cal. Super. Ct.) – Filed amicus brief on behalf of U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing that California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) violates the separation of powers enshrined in the California Constitution.
Nat’l Retail Fed. v. Dep’t of Indus. Rels. (Cal. Super. Ct.) – Filed amicus brief on behalf of California vineyard arguing that Cal/OSHA’s “COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards” violated California law and California’s constitutional non-delegation doctrine.
Privacy
Communications Technology Investigations (N.D. Cal.; E.D.N.Y.) – Defended leading communications technology company in investigations by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into privacy and security practices.
Consumer Application Arbitration (JAMS) – Defending consumer application company in arbitration alleging violations of California Consumer Privacy Act.