Charlene S. Shimada
Charlene (Chuck) Shimada’s 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. Chuck was also named the 2022 Lawyer of the Year in Securities/Capital Markets Law in San Francisco by The Best Lawyers in America and recognized among the distinguished Top 250 Women in Litigation for 2017–2020 and as a 2021–2026 Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation.
In addition, Chuck has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Super Lawyers. She has been commended by major industry publications for her defense of underwriters in significant securities class actions, along with her wider skills in advising individual and corporate clients in litigation and in regulatory investigations. She is praised by clients for her deep knowledge in securities litigation and for her client service. In Chambers USA, clients noted: “Chuck is the gold standard in securities litigation counsel; she is responsive, approachable and a savvy legal expert”; she “is a really skilled lawyer who is able to navigate complicated issues”; she is a “go-to person that gets great results”; and “she knows the answers, knows the courts very well and is an excellent attorney to have in your corner.”
A pioneer in the legal profession, Chuck 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, Chuck 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, Chuck 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 member of the Women Attorneys Advocacy Project and the Advisory Committee of the Women in Securities Litigation Network, and led the Northern California chapter of the global women’s organization Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for many years.
In 2012, Chuck was recognized as one of The Recorder’s Women Leaders in Law. That same year she received an award in honor of her “25 years of vision and leadership” from the Asian American Bar Association.
Before entering private practice, Chuck 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.
video
In Conversation with Co-Author of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Final Book
In partnership with the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), Morgan Lewis partner Charlene (Chuck) Shimada sat down with Professor Tyler to discuss Justice Ginsburg’s momentous legacy in this video.
