Practice Overview
Shella Deen is Chair of the firm’s Litigation practice, and for over 20 years has represented clients through all phases of commercial litigation. Her practice focuses on complex business disputes involving intellectual property, trade secrets, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and unfair business practices. Ms. Deen’s clients, many of which are well known global high tech companies, appreciate her ability to quickly analyze a dispute and determine the most efficient and cost effective manner for resolution, be it through early dispute resolution or trial.
Prior to joining Hoge Fenton, Ms. Deen practiced with Terence St. J. Millett in South Kensington, London. Because of her expertise in global business disputes and her fluency in several languages, Ms. Deen frequently is consulted by clients and attorneys in disputes involving international companies, parties and transactions.
Recent Matters
- Obtained summary judgment and judgment on a cross-complaint for a publicly traded company (leading provider of interactive, protocol based network solutions including integration and support services in Internet Protocol TV, Interactive TV, Internet TV and Broadband for cable and telecom operators) in a multi party, contract damages claim.
- Successfully negotiated a very favorable settlement for a publicly traded U.S. Company (a mixed signal fabless semiconductor company) involving three cases spanning three different jurisdictions in claims for securities commissions and defective products, totaling over $55 million
- Obtained a highly favorable result for a Taiwanese publicly traded chip manufacturer in a lengthy, complex, multi-national, binding international commercial arbitration involving a $100+ million trade secret claim involving power amplifiers.
- Negotiated two very favorable settlements for a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded, US company (global leader in manufacture, integration and support of IP-based, end-to-end networking and telecommunications solutions) in multi-million dollar commission and contractual disputes.
- On behalf of a multi-billion dollar Taiwanese chip manufacturer, recovered nearly $2 million from a publicly traded U.S. company for breach of a joint development agreement (including resolution of issues of jointly owned intellectual property).
- Successfully negotiated a very favorable settlement of a case just prior to trial on behalf of a U.S. publicly traded electronics manufacturer in a multi-million dollar commercial litigation claim involving hard disk drives.
- Recovered $1 million in royalties for an overseas chip manufacturer.
- Successfully defended a publicly traded U.S. high tech company in two complex commercial litigation claims totaling more than $68 million. Both actions involved thwarting the plaintiffs’ attempts to obtain drastic prejudgment remedies which could have significantly damaged the client company.
Professional Activities
Ms. Deen is a member of the California State Bar, the Law Society of England and Wales, the Santa Clara County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and has been a Board Member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association’s Real Property Section and Women Lawyers Committee.