Qian (Sheila) Shen

Associate

Practices

Industry

Transportation & Infrastructure

Qian (Sheila) Shen

+1.212.513.3521

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

Education

Fordham University School of Law, J.D.
New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, B.S., Marketing and International Business

Bar Admissions/Licenses

California
New York
New Jersey

Court Admissions

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

Memberships

Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), Young Lawyers Committee, Co-Chair, 2020-2021; Litigation Committee, Co-Chair, 2025-2026
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
Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law, Associate Editor

Honors & Awards