Charlene S Shimada

Practice Areas

Charlene (Chuck) Shimada, a partner in the litigation practice, concentrates on securities litigation defense, corporate governance, class actions, and complex commercial litigation. Chuck represents issuing corporations, officers and directors, underwriters, and public accounting firms, not only in private litigation, but also in government investigations and proceedings. Based on her professional achievement and demonstrated interest in improving the law, she has been elected to The American Law Institute.

A pioneer in the legal profession, she was the first Asian Pacific American woman partner in a major San Francisco law firm. She was also the first woman litigation partner, as well as the first woman of color partner, at a premier California firm known for its elite litigation practice. She served as the office managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco headquarters, one of the first women of color to hold that position in any major US law firm. She also served as the co-office managing partner of the San Francisco office of another international law firm.

In addition to her legal practice, she is active in professional and civic affairs. She served as a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s board of directors, co-chair of the Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representatives Committee, and president of the Berkeley Law Alumni Association.

Throughout her legal career, she has fought for women’s rights. She was a founding member of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s No Glass Ceiling Task Force, which since 2001 has been helping participating firms increase both the number of women partners and their leadership opportunities. She also co-founded Women In Securities (WISe), a network for women securities litigators that seeks to promote their development and advancement. She is a leader of the Northern California chapter of the global women’s organization Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), a member of the Women Attorneys Advocacy Project, and an Advisory Committee member of the Women in Securities Litigation Network.

Before entering private practice, she served as a law clerk to Judge Martin Pence of the US District Court for the District of Hawaii. She is admitted to practice in California and Hawaii.

To learn more about Chuck and her experience, please go to: https://www.morganlewis.com/bios/charleneshimada

Personal

Stanford University, 1976, B.A., With Distinction; Phi Beta Kappa; University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 1979, J.D.