Shella Deen is co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and for 20 ­­years has represented clients through all phases of litigation, from motion practice to mediation, arbitration and trial in cases involving complex IP and commercial litigation, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, premises liability, complex construction defect litigation, breach of contract, insurance coverage and landlord and tenant disputes.  Ms. Deen also defends real estate brokers against allegations of misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duties, and defends attorneys, engineers and other professionals against claims of malpractice.  Ms. Deen has also mediated disputes and diverted litigation aimed at her clients.

As an initial step, Ms. Deen analyzes each of her cases to 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 law with the firm of Terence St.
J. Millett in South Kensington, London. She received her law degree, with honours, from the University of Buckingham and completed her Solicitors' qualification
exams at the College of Law, England. She is frequently consulted by clients and attorneys in disputes involving international businesses or individuals.

Recent Matters

• 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.
  
  
• Negotiated an extremely favorable settlement for her insurance carrier client, successfully defending a $200 million claim against its policies after two phases of a complex, four-phase insurance coverage (environmental) litigation trial.
  
  
• Successfully resolved a 48-party complex construction defect case as lead counsel on behalf of her general contractor client.  The case involved more than 100 units, had significant architectural and construction issues, and plaintiff’s original claim totaled more than $12 million.
  
  
• Successfully obtained, as a member of a two-person trial team, a unanimous defense verdict for a geotechnical engineer who was sued for negligence by homeowners for almost $3 million. This result vindicated the engineer and left his most important asset, his reputation, untarnished.
  
  
• Effectively negotiated the return of over $80,000 from a fraudulent loan broker for an innocent homeowner, without having to file a lawsuit.
  
  
• Has negotiated many favorable settlements in excess of $200,000 for clients who had sued their general contractors for fraud and construction defects in the construction of their homes.
  

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.

Admissions

Ms. Deen is admitted to practice before all California Courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. She is admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.