Collin Vierra is a Partner in Eimer Stahl’s Silicon Valley office. His practice focuses on complex trial and appellate litigation, commercial and consumer mass arbitration, and counseling including in the areas of privacy, discrimination, products liability, commercial disputes, antitrust, environmental law, and regulation.
Clients call Collin a “leading lawyer” of mass arbitration defense. His creative solutions to novel arbitration issues have saved his clients tens of millions of dollars in arbitration costs and damages. Collin has been a featured speaker on mass arbitration defense for numerous institutions including the American Bar Association, the Federalist Society, the Chamber Litigation Center, and the Data Privacy and Cyber Security ConfEx. Collin has helped companies respond to over 125,000 individual demands for arbitration across numerous industries, including the social networking, consumer hardware, and consumer entertainment industries.
Collin has also defended clients in cases involving a garden variety of state and federal data privacy statutes, including the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifiers Act (CUBI), the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and others. Collin regularly advises clients on privacy litigation and compliance issues.
Collin has ample experience in both state and federal court and with all aspects of litigation, including successfully trying claims from complaint to jury verdict. Collin has defended major public and private 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. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the Attorneys General of more than 40 states and the District of Columbia.
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.
Collin regularly litigates in courts across the country and is licensed to practice in California and Texas.
Experience
Case Experience
Privacy
Rojas v. Clearview AI, Inc. (Cal. Super. Ct.; Cal. Ct. App.) – Defending leading facial recognition technology company in action alleging violations of individual privacy rights under California law.
Murphy v. FriendFinder Networks, Inc. (Ill. Cir. Ct.) – Obtained successful dismissal of putative Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class action against adult dating site; Plaintiff was forced to pay Defendant’s costs.
Massel v. Coinbase, Inc. (N.D. Cal.) – Successfully moved to compel individual arbitration of Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) claims filed as putative class action against cryptocurrency exchange.
Meta Platforms, Inc. Subpoena Enforcement Action (Cal. Super. Ct.; N.Y. Sup. Ct.) – Successfully defended technology company against successive attempts by Meta to enforce subpoena against non-party in California and New York in connection with out-of-state Texas Capture of Use of Biometric Identifiers Act (CUBI) enforcement action.
Google LLC Subpoena Enforcement Action (N.Y. Sup. Ct.; Tex. Dist. Ct.) – Defended technology company in attempt by Google to enforce subpoena against non-party in connection with Texas Capture of Use of Biometric Identifiers Act (CUBI) enforcement action.
Communications Technology Investigations (DOJ) – Defended leading communications technology company in investigations by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into privacy and security practices.
Web Tracking Mass Arbitration (AAA) – Defending web service provider in mass arbitration alleging violations of California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) and related statutes.
Data Breach Mass Arbitration (AAA) – Defending consumer service company in mass arbitration stemming from alleged data breach.
Consumer Hardware Mass Arbitration (AAA) – Defending consumer hardware company in mass arbitration alleging violations of Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA).
Social Networking Arbitration (JAMS) – Defended consumer application company in arbitration alleging violations of California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
KYC Federal Investigation (FBI) – Defending identity verification service in connection with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation.
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.
Apple Inc. v. Epic Games, Inc. (SCOTUS) – Drafted amicus brief for app developer association regarding propriety of nationwide injunctions and market benefits of anti-steering provisions.
Products Liability
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 (DOJ, FTC, FDA) – Defended consumer products company in investigations by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into advertising practices.
Commercial Disputes
Chemical Industry Arbitrations (ICC, ICDR) – Represented multinational chemical company in series of commercial arbitrations regarding contract disputes at chemical production sites.
Data Arbitration (AAA) – Representing purchaser in commercial arbitration to recover funds for breach of contract for provision of data under New York law.
Pesticide Industry Insurance Arbitration (Ad Hoc) – Defended captive insurance providers in ad hoc arbitration in connection with pesticide liability claims following separation agreement.
Riverbed Technologies, Inc. v. Scottish Equity Partners (Cal. Super. Ct.; Cal. Ct. App.) – Successfully represented information technology company in action to recover restitution for class action judgment overturned on appeal.
Arntsen et al. v. Davis et al. (Cal. Super. Ct.) – Successfully represented senior citizens and immigrants in connection with fraudulent real estate scheme; recovered over $1.3 million jury verdict including $66,666 in punitive damages for each of the six plaintiffs.
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 market-leading consumer products company in investigations by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into statements made in private offering materials.
Environmental Law
Climate Change Litigation (1st Cir.; 2d Cir.; 3d Cir.; 4th Cir.; 9th Cir.; SCOTUS) – 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.
Green Energy Industry Investigation (DOJ) – Defended leading green energy company in environmental investigation by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into wind farm operations.
Employment
California Business & Industrial Alliance v. Bonta (Cal. Ct. App.) – Drafted amicus brief for U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing that California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) violates the separation of powers enshrined in the California Constitution.
People v. Handy (Cal. Super. Ct.) – Drafted amicus brief for U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing that referral services are exempt from California’s AB5, which classifies certain workers as employes rather than independent contractors.
Discrimination
Social Networking Mass Arbitrations (JAMS) – Defended social networking company in mass arbitrations alleging violations of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Consumer Website Mass Arbitration (AAA) – Defending consumer website company in mass arbitration alleging violations of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and federal Civil Rights law.
Consumer Hardware Mass Arbitration (JAMS) – Defended consumer hardware company in mass arbitration alleging violations of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Consumer Entertainment Mass Arbitration (JAMS) – Defending consumer entertainment company in mass arbitration alleging violations of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Regulatory
County of Dane v. Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (SCOWIS) – 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.
State v. Berrada Properties Management, Inc. (Wis. Cir. Ct.) – Defending Milwaukee’s largest landlord in state action alleging violations of consumer protection regulations and landlord-tenant laws.
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.
National Retail Federation v. Department of Industrial Relations (Cal. Super. Ct.) – Drafted amicus brief for California vineyard arguing that Cal/OSHA’s “COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards” violated California law and California’s constitutional non-delegation doctrine.