Kate Shin’s practice focuses on helping companies resolve their most complex business and commercial litigation matters involving contracts, corporate governance, employment, venture capital, the False Claims Act, real estate litigation, intellectual property infringement, and class action.

She has successfully represented international conglomerates, Fortune 500 companies, large private companies, local corporations, financial institutions, and individuals through jury trial, arbitration, settlement, post-trial proceedings, and appeal. Kate routinely participates in trial proceedings and a broad range of appellate and motion practices.

As a first-generation Korean American, Kate is fully versed in Korean culture and language. Having attended a university in South Korea where she studied Korean law, Kate provides a unique perspective on international legal disputes. 

Education

  • Pepperdine University School of Law, J.D., 2011
  • University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., summa cum laude, 2006

Honors & Awards

  • Humanitarian Award, American Civil Liberties Union, 2021

Representative Cases

  • Prevailed in three-week JAMS arbitration and successfully defended a prominent California-based bank. Defeated $100 million in alleged liabilities in which the plaintiffs alleged various fraud and contract claims and sought compensatory and punitive damages.
  • Successfully protected client’s constitutional rights to a jury trial by invalidating contractual forum selection clauses designating the Delaware Court of Chancery. Obtained a significant ruling that casts serious doubts upon the Delaware Chancery Court’s ability to fairly adjudicate disputes involving California citizens.

  • Obtained preliminary injunction in a pro bono class action lawsuit against a federal prison over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Successfully convinced the court to require prison officials to consider all medically vulnerable, non-violent prisoners and those over the age of 50 for home confinement.

  • Achieved complete defense decision on behalf of the world’s largest plastic pipe manufacturer in a long-running, high-profile qui tam trial involving nine-figure damages relating to non-compliant PVC pipe. Successfully convinced the court to reduce claimed damages from $58 million to $2 million before the jury was ultimately unable to agree that any damages were owed, leading to a mistrial.

  • Obtained favorable settlement for a publicly traded California financial institution in a complex multimillion-dollar fraudulent transfer action arising from former customers failing to repay a commercial loan.

  • Secured trial victory and affirmance of ruling on appeal for owners of an international sports apparel company defeating fraud, breach of contract, and alter ego claims brought by their former business partners.

  • Won dismissal of a wage and hour class action on behalf of multiple corporate and individual defendants. The class action plaintiff, a former employee of the defendant restaurant, sought over $5 million dollars in damages for the putative class comprised of hundreds of former and current restaurant workers.

  • Successfully defended one of the world’s leading VPN operators in an arbitration involving equity ownership issues brought by its former CEO.

  • Obtained dismissal with prejudice on behalf of two British agencies that regulate the practice of law in the United Kingdom against broad-ranging RICO, defamation, and other claims brought by two disbarred British solicitors in federal court.

  • Prevailed on a motion to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit seeking more than $50 million in damages on behalf of Korea’s largest entertainment and media conglomerate.

Recent News & Events

Kate Shin’s practice focuses on helping companies resolve their most complex business and commercial litigation matters involving contracts, corporate governance, employment, venture capital, the False Claims Act, real estate litigation, intellectual property infringement, and class action.

She has successfully represented international conglomerates, Fortune 500 companies, large private companies, local corporations, financial institutions, and individuals through jury trial, arbitration, settlement, post-trial proceedings, and appeal. Kate routinely participates in trial proceedings and a broad range of appellate and motion practices.

As a first-generation Korean American, Kate is fully versed in Korean culture and language. Having attended a university in South Korea where she studied Korean law, Kate provides a unique perspective on international legal disputes. 

Representative Cases

  • Prevailed in three-week JAMS arbitration and successfully defended a prominent California-based bank. Defeated $100 million in alleged liabilities in which the plaintiffs alleged various fraud and contract claims and sought compensatory and punitive damages.
  • Successfully protected client’s constitutional rights to a jury trial by invalidating contractual forum selection clauses designating the Delaware Court of Chancery. Obtained a significant ruling that casts serious doubts upon the Delaware Chancery Court’s ability to fairly adjudicate disputes involving California citizens.

  • Obtained preliminary injunction in a pro bono class action lawsuit against a federal prison over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Successfully convinced the court to require prison officials to consider all medically vulnerable, non-violent prisoners and those over the age of 50 for home confinement.

  • Achieved complete defense decision on behalf of the world’s largest plastic pipe manufacturer in a long-running, high-profile qui tam trial involving nine-figure damages relating to non-compliant PVC pipe. Successfully convinced the court to reduce claimed damages from $58 million to $2 million before the jury was ultimately unable to agree that any damages were owed, leading to a mistrial.

  • Obtained favorable settlement for a publicly traded California financial institution in a complex multimillion-dollar fraudulent transfer action arising from former customers failing to repay a commercial loan.

  • Secured trial victory and affirmance of ruling on appeal for owners of an international sports apparel company defeating fraud, breach of contract, and alter ego claims brought by their former business partners.

  • Won dismissal of a wage and hour class action on behalf of multiple corporate and individual defendants. The class action plaintiff, a former employee of the defendant restaurant, sought over $5 million dollars in damages for the putative class comprised of hundreds of former and current restaurant workers.

  • Successfully defended one of the world’s leading VPN operators in an arbitration involving equity ownership issues brought by its former CEO.

  • Obtained dismissal with prejudice on behalf of two British agencies that regulate the practice of law in the United Kingdom against broad-ranging RICO, defamation, and other claims brought by two disbarred British solicitors in federal court.

  • Prevailed on a motion to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit seeking more than $50 million in damages on behalf of Korea’s largest entertainment and media conglomerate.

News & Events

Bird Marella Announces 2022 Attorney Elevations

Bird Marella is pleased to announce attorney elevations effective January 1, 2022: Fanxi Wang and Oliver Rocos have been elevated to Principals of the firm; Shoshana Bannett has been elevated to Senior Counsel; and Kate Shin has been elevated to Counsel. Managing Principal Paul Chan affirmed, “We are proud of the ...

Bird Marella Wins Complete Victory in $100M JAMS Arbitration for California Bank

Bird Marella attorneys Ekwan Rhow and Kate Shin successfully defended a prominent California-based bank in a JAMS arbitration case, defeating $100 million in alleged liabilities. The plaintiffs had alleged various fraud and contract claims and sought compensatory and punitive damages. After a three-week arbitration and multiple rounds of briefing, the ...

ACLU of Southern California Honors Bird Marella with 2021 Humanitarian Award

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California has awarded Bird Marella with the 2021 Humanitarian Award, in recognition of its pro bono partnership on two COVID-19 class action lawsuits against the administrators at Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons. Filed on behalf of several prisoners, the lawsuits detailed how insufficient measures ...

Bird Marella Defeats Petition for Writ of Mandate Filed by Delaware Defendants, Upholding California Trial Court’s Refusal to Enforce Delaware Forum Selection Clauses

Principal Ekwan Rhow and associate Kate Shin successfully opposed a writ petition filed in the California Court of Appeal, protecting their client’s right to pursue his claims in California notwithstanding the Delaware forum selection clauses contained in the multiple agreements between the parties. Both at the trial court and appellate ...

Bird Marella Succeeds in Protecting Client’s Constitutional Rights to a Jury Trial by Invalidating Contractual Forum Selection Clauses Designating the Delaware Court of Chancery

Principal Ekwan Rhow and associate Kate Shin are featured in the Daily Journal for their successful motion practice in the Los Angeles Superior Court in a dispute against a Delaware corporation, a high-profile network security company. Bird Marella’s client, William West, is a California resident who co-founded the defendant company and served ...

Bird Marella and ACLU Obtain Preliminary Injunction on Behalf of Federal Prisoners in COVID-19 Class Action Suits

Bird Marella and co-counsel the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) partnered with the Prison Law Office (PLO) to achieve victories in two class action lawsuits filed against Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the Lompoc class action, the Court issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Bureau of ...

Bird Marella Wins Affirmance of Defense Verdict in Breach of Contract Suit

Ekwan Rhow, Fanxi Wang and Kate Shin won affirmance of a defense verdict for owners of an international sports apparel company in a breach of contract suit. Plaintiffs were business partners with the owners and sought millions in damages alleging the owners had committed fraud after the partnership was terminated. ...