Qian (Sheila) Shen
Associate
Overview
Sheila Shen is an attorney in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group of Holland & Knight's New York and Los Angeles offices, and maintains her New Jersey practice. Ms. Shen is a trial and arbitration lawyer who has secured favorable outcomes for clients in state and federal court actions, as well as in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Her clients look to Ms. Shen for impactful strategy in high-stakes litigation, to develop novel legal issues, manage complex class actions, and prepare substantiative legal briefs, oral arguments and trials. Since beginning her career at Holland & Knight, Ms. Shen has obtained positive results for clients in complex commercial disputes, class action defense, education, transportation and logistics, asset recovery, and insurance and indemnification matters as a result of dispositive motion practice, trials and arbitrations.
Ms. Shen is active in the firm's pro bono and mentoring efforts and is a past coordinator of the New York Women's Initiative.
Ms. Shen is also active in the legal community. She is a former member of the Civic Affairs Committee of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA), past newsletter editor for the Insurance Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA), a previous member of the Pro Bono Advisory Committee for Asian Americans Advancing Justice of Southern California (AJSOCAL) and a past co-chair of the Asian American Bar Association of New York's (AABANY) Young Lawyers Committee.
Representative Experience
- Second chair in a two-week jury trial before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York representing the liquidators of Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund LP securing a multimillion-dollar verdict
- Second chair in an arbitration on behalf of a healthcare provider, securing a multimillion-dollar award arising out of a breach of joint venture agreement
- Member of trial team for a foreign sovereign resulting in full defense verdict in favor of the sovereign in a federal bench trial
- As lead counsel, successfully defended a 2020 presidential candidate in wage dispute trial
- As lead counsel, pro bono representation of a custodial parent in a child support action resulting in substantial order of support following the trial
- Co-lead counsel in a commercial insurance dispute appraisal hearing
- Co-lead counsel in a pro bono trial arising under the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980 Hague Convention) resulting in a favorable decision mandating the return of the children
- Assisted in trial preparation and led post-trial briefing for a commodities trade dispute resulting in $7 million judgment in favor of the client
- Lead associate defending higher education institutions in various putative class actions across the country seeking tuition and fee refunds related to COVID-19
- Lead appellate advocate for the University of San Francisco, securing the first California Court of Appeals decision affirming dismissal in favor of the university in a COVID-19 tuition refund action
- Lead associate defending a putative class action against a national bank related to electronic fund transfers
- Representation of an automobile finance company in defending a putative class action concerning access fees
- Defense and resolution of employment class action in a wage dispute
- Lead associate in various recovery actions brought on behalf of the liquidators of Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund LP
- Successfully secured dismissal of multimillion-dollar claim against Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund LP subsidiary brought by a former portfolio manager, which was affirmed on appeal
- As lead counsel, secured summary judgment liability finding against a former Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund LP portfolio manager for misappropriating an asset from the liquidation estate
- Representation of foreign entities in judgment enforcement actions seeking assets in the United States
- Assist in the representation of a social media platform in a cyber policy coverage dispute
- Representation of an international bank in federal action seeking recovery from insurer for losses arising from fraudulent credit draws submitted to bank
- Advise an aircraft insurer on coverage issues arising out a helicopter crash
- Assist in the defense of a commercial insurance broker in a dispute involving claims of negligent procurement, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty
Credentials
- Fordham University School of Law, J.D.
- New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, B.S., Marketing and International Business
- California
- New York
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Pro Bono Advisory Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, 2021-2023
- Civic Affairs Committee, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, 2021-2022
- International Bar Association Insurance Committee, Newsletter Editor, 2020-2022
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinder Class of 2022
- Young Lawyers Committee, Asian American Bar Association of New York, Co-Chair, 2020-2021
- Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law, Associate Editor
- Rising Star, New York Super Lawyers magazine, 2023
- Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2017-2021
