Andy Crowder
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Andy Crowder's practice focuses on product liability and commercial litigation. Andy primarily manages litigation and regulatory risk for pet food manufacturers, including prosecuting and defending claims on their behalf in state and federal court. Andy is also an experienced guide for aviation manufacturers and operators facing NTSB investigations and air-crash litigation.
Beyond those specialties, Andy’s wide-ranging experience includes defending international manufacturers—in automotive, industrial, high-tech, food, oil and gas, and consumer products industries—against claims of all types in state and federal court, complex arbitrations, and on appeal. Andy has also represented large healthcare insurance companies in the US, both as plaintiffs and defendants, in disputes across the country.
Andy began his legal career serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas L. Ludington of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Prior to law school, Andy was an elementary school teacher with Teach for America in Chicago, and he maintains an active pro bono practice focused on serving at-risk communities.
Professional experience
Collapse all- JD, cum laude, Northwestern University School of Law, 2012
- BA, cum laude, Psychology and Communications, Hope College, 2007
- Illinois State Bar
- Minnesota State Bar
- Washington State Bar
Pet Food –
- Represented pet food manufacturer alleging fraud and RICO claims against suppliers based on criminal scheme to defraud, securing substantial settlement after nearly a decade of litigation and on the heels of significant wins at the dispositive and Rule 702 motions stage. See Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd. V. Wilbur-Ellis Co. LLC, No. 14-cv-859, 2024 WL 111712 (E.D. Mo. Jan. 10, 2024).
- Regularly handles third-party subpoenas issued to pet food manufacturers regarding litigation over supply and pricing issues.
- Advises pet food manufacturers regarding regulatory risk and compliance under state and federal oversight, including AAFCO’s model bill and regulations, the Food & Drug Cosmetic Act, the Food Safety Modernization Act, and the pending PURR Act of 2024.
- Counsels pet food manufacturers regarding litigation risks arising from class actions, ingredient and product claims, trace minerals and contaminants, prescription pet food, and supply chain issues.
Aviation –
- Represents aircraft owner and operator related to ongoing NTSB investigation in New York.
- Represented numerous aircraft manufacturers concerning other NTSB investigations throughout the country.
- Achieved dismissal on the merits on behalf of helicopter manufacturer following death of two Atlanta Police officers operating the aircraft in the line of duty.
- Achieved dismissal on the merits of helicopter manufacturer following air-crash and death of pilot due to entanglement with electric wires.
- Represented small fixed-wing aircraft manufacturer following air-crash and multiple deaths during bear-watching trip in Alaska.
- Represented aircraft manufacturer of fighter jet shot down over Ukrainian airspace.
Appeals –
- Represents Amazon in Eighth Circuit appeal alleging strict products liability for batteries sold on company website.
- Briefed and argued constitutional issue of first impression before Minnesota Supreme Court concerning Minnesota's pardon board statutes.
- Obtained emergency stay of immigration proceedings, and then reversal of finding of removability based on constitutional violations, on behalf of pro bono client facing removal and threats of great bodily harm. See Shefa v. Barr, 803 F. App’x 985 (8th Cir. May 11, 2020).
- Secured Eighth Circuit reversal of district court's orders remanding numerous cases to state court arising out of manufacture of hearing protection products.
- Briefed and argued bankruptcy appeal before Ninth Circuit; in its written opinion, the Ninth Circuit panel recognized Andy's advocacy as "excellent." See Wisdom v. Gugino, 649 F. App'x 583 (9th Cir. 2016).
Additional representative experience –
- Obtained summary judgment dismissal of all claims against Amazon in case alleging Amazon was responsible for allegedly defective products sold on its website. See Berkley Reg. Ins. Co. v. John Doe et al., No. 20-cv-2382, 2023 WL 375934 (D. Minn. Jan. 24, 2023).
- Represented international manufacturer against claims raised by thousands of plaintiffs arising from manufacture of hearing protection devices.
- Represented Japanese manufacturer of world’s largest tunnel boring machine in contract, construction, and product liability dispute arising from construction of SR-99 tunnel in Seattle, Washington.
- Represented US managed healthcare and insurance company entities in non-compete matter involving former employee and breach of restrictive covenants.
- Successfully challenged as unconstitutional Minnesota’s 125-year-old pardon statute requiring unanimous vote to pardon leading to legislative change in 2023.
- Obtained successful settlement on behalf of siding manufacturer after defeating plaintiffs' attempts to certify a class action lawsuit.
- Obtained successful settlement on behalf of home insulation manufacturer defending against negligence, strict liability, and alleged punitive damages claims.
- Benchmark Litigation, US 40 and Under List, Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, 2024
- Co-Author, “Remedies for Breach,” Minnesota Contracts Deskbook Chapter 11, 2023-2024 editions
- Author, "Litigation Nightmares: How to Tame Class Actions and Multidistrict Litigation," ACC Docket, May 2020
- Author, "7 Strategies to an MDL Victory," ACCDocket.com, April 2020
- Author, "Using data to assess past and plan future," Minnesota Lawyer Volume 92, No. 69, January 21, 2019
- Author, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Minnesota Lawyer Volume 92 No. 59, December 17, 2018
- Author, "Good references are simply not enough," Minnesota Lawyer Volume 92, August 21, 2018
- Author, "What you need to know about 3-D printing and product liability," Industry Week, April 19, 2017
- "Harnessing AI to Transform Litigation: Embracing the Evolution of Testimony & Technology,” LegalOps.com Regional Event, June 11, 2024
- "Pet Food Trends,” Consumer Brands Association CPG Legal Forum, February 27, 2024
- “2022-2023 Supreme Court Year in Review,” Webinar, September 26, 2023
- "Third-Party Litigation Funding—Apparently here to stay, but what about Minnesota?," Hennepin County Bar Association, October 16, 2018
- "Global E-Discovery Challenges: Navigating the risks presented by multi-language data," Webinar, March 28, 2017
- Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights, Commissioner and Treasurer, 2020 – 2023