Overview
Aaron Van Oort is a legal strategist, class action litigator and appellate lawyer who co-chairs Faegre Drinker's appellate advocacy group. A former law clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia and a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Aaron is a voice for clients in trial and appellate courts throughout the country.
Appellate Advocacy
Aaron has represented clients in 12 of the 13 United States Courts of Appeal, as well as in the United States Supreme Court and in state appellate courts. He is an editor of the 8th Circuit Practice Manual (8th ed. 2018) and a contributing editor to the ABA Appellate Practice Compendium (2013). He has successfully defended favorable rulings on appeal and won reversal of unfavorable ones, including winning reversals of adverse jury verdicts in both federal and state courts. Clients who have retained Aaron in appellate matters include the NFL, General Mills, American Family Insurance, Cirrus Aircraft, Seagate, Bank of America, Capital One, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Koch Industries and Xcel Energy.
Class Action Defense
Aaron has defended more than 100 class actions across the country. He is an editor of the Bolch Judicial Institute’s Guidelines and Best Practices: Implementing 2018 Amendments to Rule 23 Class Action Settlement Provisions (Duke Law School 2018). With Aaron’s representation, clients have won dismissal or summary judgment, defeated class certification, and negotiated favorable class or individual settlements. In class actions, Aaron has represented 3M, Google, the NFL, the National Hockey League, Capital One, General Mills, Jani-King International, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, American Family Insurance, Koch Industries and Life Time Fitness, among other clients.Services & Industries
Credentials
Bar Admissions
Minnesota
Court Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Clerkships
United States Supreme Court, Hon. Antonin Scalia, 2000-2001
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Hon. Richard A. Posner, 1999-2000
Education
University of Chicago Law School
J.D. with high honors, Order of the Coif, Law Review (articles editor) (1999)
University of Minnesota, Morris
B.A. with high distinction, with honors (1996)
Experience
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March 2020 2 min readXcel Energy Defeats Constitutional Challenge Brought Against Right of First Refusal LawLitigation & Dispute Resolution Appellate Environment and Energy
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April 2019 1 min read3M’s Bair Hugger Patient Warming System Vindicated in Appellate WinProduct Liability Product Liability Litigation Litigation & Dispute Resolution Appellate
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August 2018 1 min readAmerican Family Squelches Putative Class Action in Eighth Circuit WinFinancial Services Insurance Litigation & Dispute Resolution Appellate Class Actions
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August 2018 1 min readEighth Circuit Affirms Bluestem Brands' Arbitration AgreementsFinancial Services Litigation & Dispute Resolution Appellate Class Actions
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July 2018 1 min readNHL Defeats Class Certification in Concussion LitigationMass Tort Litigation and Settlement Strategies Litigation & Dispute Resolution Appellate Class Actions
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December 2017 1 min readCargill Wins Case-Ending Appellate VictoryCommodity Production and Processing Food & Agribusiness Product Liability Commercial Disputes Product Liability Litigation Litigation & Dispute Resolution Toxic Tort Litigation Appellate
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September 2015 1 min readCirrus Aircraft Successfully Reverses $10M Jury VerdictCommercial Disputes Litigation & Dispute Resolution Appellate
Insights & Events
Latest
Insights
Other Perspectives
- 8th Circuit Appellate Practice Manual
Editor, 8th Edition, 2018 - Guidelines and Best Practices: Implementing 2018 Amendments to Rule 23 Class Action Settlement Provisions
Editor, Bolch Judicial Institute, Duke Law School, 2018 - The Supreme Court Term in Preview
Panelist, Eighth Circuit Bar Association, St. Paul, October 18, 2017 - Recent Developments in Class Action Law
Panelist, PLI Consumer Financial Services Institute, New York, April 2017 - The U.S. Supreme Court's Big New Decisions
Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, 2017 - Evaluating Proposed Class-Action Settlements
Panel Moderator, Duke Class-Action Settlement Conference, San Diego, October 2016 - Recent Developments in Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Litigation
Banking Law Institute, Minneapolis, 2013 - ABA Appellate Practice Compendium
Contributing Author, 2013 - Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Trade Practice Regulation in Minnesota
Contributing Editor
Leadership & Community
Professional Associations
- American Academy of Appellate Lawyers
- Minnesota State Bar Association — Past Chair of Appellate Section
Honors
- Chambers USA — Minnesota, Litigation: Appellate, 2010-20
- Minnesota Lawyer — Attorneys of the Year, 2015
- Faegre Baker Daniels — Baker Benson Pro Bono Award, 2015
- Best Lawyers in America — Appellate Law, 2012-20; Antitrust Litigation, 2013, 2015-20 (Minnesota Antitrust Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2017)
- Minnesota Super Lawyers — Appellate, 2013-19