Shawn Collins, ’86, 1957-2024
‘Such a force for good’: Renowned environmental lawyer Collins who fought for pollution victims dies
In the early 2000s, attorney Shawn Collins put his law firm on the line for Lisle residents suffering from the effects of pollution.
After hearing a toxic chemical had leaked into drinking water from the Lockformer Co. plant in his hometown, Collins didn’t hesitate. He filed a class-action lawsuit, learning the intricacies of environmental litigation along the way.
“Ultimately, I was just very, very angry. I couldn't believe anyone would do this to people,” Collins said in 2003. “The families had done absolutely nothing wrong. It's a great thing to be on the side of somebody like that.”
Collins, devoted family man and nationally honored litigator who fought corporate polluters and won millions for victims, died Sunday at age 67. The Naperville resident fought a “valiant battle” following a heart attack last month, relatives said.
“He was a big personality, a big presence, and he just wanted to do something to make the world a better place,” Collins’ wife, Meg, said Monday.
“He pushed hard for those who didn’t have a voice,” added attorney Patrick Collins, Shawn’s younger brother.
The founder of Naperville-based Collins Law, he successfully litigated multiple environmental lawsuits, including actions against Lockformer and Sterigenics. In the latter case, he partnered with other firms to achieve a $363 million judgment against the company accused of emitting cancer-causing ethylene oxide in Willowbrook.
Collins was not only a skillful lawyer but a true friend, said Rose Keppler of Willowbrook, a plaintiff in the Sterigenics case.
“He became a part of your life, and he knew what we were going through. The caring was so deep and so sincere,” Keppler said.
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