Kevin H.
Collins

OVERVIEW

“My motto is results not excuses,” Kevin Collins says. That can be a tall order when your litigation practice deals with big-dollar, emotional conflicts within businesses or families. “I find solutions for difficult and contentious family and business disputes,” he says.

When handling high-stakes estate litigation, construction contractor disputes, or business matters dealing with fraud, breach of contract, and corporate dissolution, Kevin navigates clients through stressful, highly emotional situations.

In estate litigation, Kevin often deals with multimillion-dollar farm controversies that result when an owner dies and one or more of the heirs seek to challenge the disposition of the estate. “Helping people get through that process intact in order to allow them to focus on what’s important in life once that episode concludes is what brings me back to my desk each day.”

His patience, persistence, determination, and creativity (and his self-deprecating sense of humor when appropriate) help keep his cases on track—letting him set aside his opponents’ distractions and disruptions intended to derail his focus on the key matters. “A lot of what I’m doing is just bringing people in off the ledge, telling them to take a breath and to refocus,” he says. One client’s description of Kevin’s determination: “He described me as a Jack Russell terrier.”

Of course, determination alone doesn’t get the job done. Kevin continually explores creative ways to persuade judges and litigants to see his client’s side. Because he believes an inability to communicate lies at the genesis of all controversy, Kevin attempts to reestablish communication. “By the time it gets to me, there is little or no communication, and there is a complete denial of the other side’s perspective,” he says. “People might need to hear the same message repeatedly. Or you need to reshape the message to get the behavior that you’re trying to obtain.”

As complex and stressful as his civil trial practice is, Kevin never considered any other career option. He was raised around lawyers and took their lessons to heart. Some days he’s amazed at the opportunities that his law practice offers—despite its 24/7 demands. “We take it with us,” he says. “Sometimes you wonder why you do what you do. Other times you’re thinking Why would I do anything else?”

RECOGNITION

The Best Lawyers in America®
2006–2025

The Best Lawyers in America®

• Lawyer of the Year, Litigation—Intellectual Property, Cedar Rapids, 2019
• Lawyer of the Year, Litigation—Construction, Cedar Rapids, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2025

Martindale-Hubbell
AV® Preeminent

Chambers USA 
2003–2024

Great Plains Super Lawyers
2009–2024

Litigation Counsel of America
Senior Fellow
Barrister, Order of Centurions
Advocate, Order of Certus

The American Bar Foundation
Fellow

America's Top 100 Attorneys
Lifetime Achievement Member

Iowa State Bar Foundation
Life Fellow

American Board of Trial Advocates
Fellow

Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers
Fellow

The College of Master Advocates: Barristers
Fellow

Great Plains Super Lawyers
Construction Litigation, 2009–present

Corridor Business Journal
Corridor Leaders 250: The Corridor’s Most Influential Business Leaders, 2022

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

American Bar Association

• Construction Industry Forum, member
• Dispute Resolution Section, member
• Intellectual Property Section, member
• Law Practice Management Section, member
• Litigation Section, member
• Tort & Insurance Practice Section, member

Iowa State Bar Association

• President, 2003–2004
• President-elect, 2002–2003
• Vice President, 2001–2002
• Ways and Means Committee, member, 2001–2006
• Independence of the Judiciary, member
• Ad Hoc Committee, 2001–present
• Administrative Committee, member, 2001–2005
• Supreme Court Advisory Committee, member, 2000–2005
• Board of Governors, 1998–2001
• Committee for the Delivery of Legal Services to the Elderly, co-chair, 1989–1990
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, member
• Law Practice Management Section, member
• Litigation Section, member
• Construction Section, Chair 2010–2016

Hawaii State Bar Association

Linn County Bar Association
Technology Committee, chair, 1995–2000

Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association

The Trial Law Institute
Member

Diversity Law Institute
Member

Iowa Legal Aid
Volunteer Attorney

SIGNIFICANT CASES

Griffioen et al v Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. Alliant Energy Corp., Union Pacific Railroad Co., and Union Pacific Corp.; 2018 WL 3084011. Successfully obtained dismissal of suit seeking $6 billion in damages by landowners affected by extreme flooding allegedly caused by railways’ conduct in 2008. State District Court concluded the federal Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act preempted the claims and dismissed the action. The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed finding the “second guessing of decisions made by railroads to keep their lines open are expressly preempted.”

Eden Electrical v. Amana Co., 370 F.3d 824 (8th Cir. 2004). Represented Israeli plaintiff in fraud litigation against Amana. After trial in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, the jury awarded $2.1 million in compensatory damages and $17.875 million in punitive damages, the latter of which was reduced to $10 million by the trial court. Successfully defended compensatory and punitive damage awards in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Successfully resisted Amana’s petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court.

J. Lloyd v. Imperial Toy, Case No. 1:2006cv00043 (N.D. Iowa). Represented plaintiff in trademark, copyright, and patent infringement litigation. Litigation resolved favorably for client prior to trial.

The Pierce Arrow Society v Pierce Arrow-Arrow Motor Company, Case No. 91183294 (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board). Defended opposition proceeding seeking registration of the mark Pierce-Arrow Motor Company in connection with re-introduction of luxury automobile.

Original Ideas, Inc. and Robert DeMars v. Processed Plastic Company, Case No. 92045022 and 92045023 (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board). Successfully defended international toy manufacturer in cancellation proceedings involving registered marks for bubble making toys. Attachment Technologies, Inc. v. Cummings & Bricker, Case No. 1:2007cv00004 (D. Me.)

Attachment Technologies, Inc. v. Arnold Machinery, Case No. 2:2007cv00310 (D. Utah). ATI initiated a series of enforcement actions against US distributors of a foreign manufacturer which was manufacturing and exporting products into the United States that infringed ATI’s patent. Through these enforcement actions against the US distributors, ATI was successful in stopping any further shipments of infringing products into the United States.

Frontier Distribution, LLC v. CH Robinson Company, Case No. 1:2007cv00048 (N.D. Iowa). Represented plaintiff in trademark infringement litigation. Successfully obtained injunctive relief against CH Robinson Company.

Panda Investments, Inc. v. Jabez Enterprises, Ltd., Case No. 07-cv-114-LRR (N.D. Iowa). Represented plaintiff in litigation involving Lanham Act and fraudulent transfer claims. Obtained judgment in favor of client. The court ordered the United States Patent and Trademark Office to rescind the fraudulently transferred trademarks and also granted injunctive relief.

RF Technologies Corporation et al. v. Applied Microwave Technologies, Inc. et al, Case No. CIV.05-32-P-C (D. Me.). Represented defendants in litigation involving claims of conversion, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, and unfair competition. Obtained dismissal of claims against individual defendants for lack of personal jurisdiction. Succeeded in defending plaintiff’s request for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunctive. Litigation resolved favorably for client prior to trial.

McIlhenny Co. v. Tabasco’s Mexican Restaurant and Patio, Inc., Case No. 1:2005cv00029 (N.D. Iowa). Represented plaintiff in trademark litigation. Litigation resolved favorably for client prior to trial.

Medical Associates Health Plan, Inc. v. CIGNA Corporation, Case No. C04-1025-LRR (N.D. Iowa). Represented plaintiff in breach of contract action against CIGNA Corporation. Obtained summary judgment on liability issues. Litigation resolved favorably for client prior to trial on damages issues.