Overview
Amir A. Shakoorian is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices and a member of the firm's West Coast Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice on complex civil litigation matters, including commercial litigation, regulatory compliance and internal investigations.
Mr. Shakoorian represents public and private companies, individuals and celebrity clients in a wide range of disputes involving employment litigation, fraud, business torts, defamation, securities and investments, contracts, federal agency enforcement actions, legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty. In addition, Mr. Shakoorian has represented clients in matters before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Committed to advancing the firm's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative, Mr. Shakoorian serves as the Diversity co-chair for the Newport Beach office. He is also passionate about giving back to the community and maintains an active pro bono practice.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Shakoorian practiced at an international firm and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Stephanie K. Seymour of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
While in law school, Mr. Shakoorian served as editor-in-chief of the Southern California Review of Law and Social Justice.
Mr. Shakoorian is an executive member of Los Angeles County Bar Association's (LACBA) Barristers/Young Attorneys Section.
Representative Experience
- Lead associate representing a client in multiple actions, including one asserting more than $15 million for breach of fiduciary duty, defamation and interference with prospective economic advantage
- Represented a hedge fund client in arbitration against a public company and its chief executive officer (CEO) for fraud in connection with the company's convertible note purchase agreement
- Lead associate representing the seller of four cannabis retail assets in breach of contract and fraud action against the buyer in a $76 million secured transaction
- Represented a celebrity client in bankruptcy actions in connection with former husband's large-scale fraud; authored appellate brief that reversed the bankruptcy court's order turning over the client's jewelry
- Represented the receiver of two rural critical access hospitals against the hospitals' former owner and Am Law 200 counsel for fraud, malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties; obtained a multimillion-dollar settlement in a half-day mediation
- Lead associate representing an Am Law 100 law firm against a former client in malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty action
- Represented the receiver of two rural critical access hospitals against the hospitals' former owner and Am Law 200 counsel for fraud, malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties; obtained a multimillion-dollar settlement in a half-day mediation
- Lead associate representing an Am Law 100 law firm against a former client in malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty action
- Represented a utility company in federal court and before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), including in connection with allegation of record falsification
- Represented "Big Tech" client before U.S. Congress in response to congressional inquiry
- Represented a California energy company before the CPUC in connection with its website's outage during a public safety power shutoff
- Defended a law firm in an action brought by an employee for sexual harassment and disability discrimination; obtained order compelling matter to confidential arbitration
- Investigated a disgruntled employee's allegations of sex and gender discrimination against a Fortune 100 company
Credentials
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D.
- Columbia University, B.A., Political Science, magna cum laude
- California
- 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 District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California
- Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), Barristers/Young Attorneys Section, Bench Meets Bar Committee, Co-Chair, 2024-2025; Bench Meets Bar Committee, 2022-2023; Executive Committee, 2023-2024