Rory F. Collins

Food Class Action Defense

Rory has experience defending food, beverage and dietary supplement companies through every stage of consumer fraud class litigation, from pre-suit demand through appeal. He often secures early victories by winning motions to dismiss, obtaining individual summary judgment or negotiating favorable settlements. He also works closely with Faegre Drinker’s food regulatory team to craft litigation strategies and help clients understand litigation risks with their labeling and marketing.

Representative Experience

Rory’s representative food class action experience includes:

• Winning motion to dismiss class action alleging presence of heavy metals in baby food
• Winning motions to dismiss in more than half a dozen putative class actions challenging vanilla-flavored foods and beverages
• Representing multinational packaged foods company in class action challenging environmental sustainability claims
• Defending multiple putative class actions challenging “graham” cracker products
• Defending dietary supplement companies in multiple class actions challenging structure/function claims
• Successfully petitioning for immediate appellate review of class certification order in case challenging nutrient content claims on protein products, leading to favorable settlement
• Obtaining dismissal of putative class actions challenging quick-service restaurant chain’s marketing statements
• Resolving numerous pre-suit and filed actions by negotiating favorable individual or class settlements

High-Stakes Class & Mass Litigation

Rory also defends companies in a wide variety of mass and class actions, especially in the areas of consumer fraud, securities and shareholder claims, and franchise disputes. He draws on his experience crafting successful dispositive motions and managing discovery to develop creative strategies to achieve the client’s goals. He also has experience working closely with joint defense groups in complex cases.

Representative Experience

Rory’s representative experience in this area includes:

• Serving as national counsel for a baby food company and obtaining summary judgment in the first bellwether case in product liability litigation related to heavy metals
• Serving as national counsel for a retailer in the prescription opiate litigation
• Representing delivery platform in attorney general action alleging contractor misclassification
• Defending fintech company in putative nationwide class action alleging consumer fraud and violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
• Defending insurance company in putative nationwide class action alleging consumer fraud and breach of contract
• Successful representation of medical device company in parallel securities class action and shareholder derivative action
• Representing investor group in shareholder dispute involving a start-up company
• Achieving favorable resolution of claims brought by a franchise association on behalf of dozens of franchisees
• Winning summary judgment and affirmance on appeal in certified class action asserting contractor misclassification claims on behalf of franchisees

Pro Bono

Rory is committed to pro bono work and has devoted hundreds of hours in support of criminal justice, civil rights and housing justice. In 2023, he and a team of Faegre Drinker trial lawyers were recognized by the Great North Innocence Project as Pro Bono Champions of the Year for their work on a post-conviction matter in Mississippi. In 2021, Rory received the Faegre Drinker Pro Bono Award for leading the firm’s involvement in the Jim Crow Juries Project, which challenged nonunanimous criminal convictions entered in Louisiana before the Supreme Court held the practice unconstitutional. He has also litigated a civil rights case against the U.S. Department of State and represented tenants in affirmative and defensive housing litigation.

Personal Interests

Outside of work, Rory enjoys running, reading, tennis, theater, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops.