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Clara Shin is an experienced trial lawyer who specializes in intellectual property and complex commercial disputes. She co-chairs the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group.
Clients frequently call on Ms. Shin in late stages of litigation to take matters to trial or reorient the strategic direction of a case. According to one client, “Clara combines exceptional intelligence with strategic business focus in a way that sets her apart from other top trial lawyers.” Recognized as a litigation “Game Changer” by The Recorder and for delivering one of California’s top verdicts by the Daily Journal, she has helped to make law in emerging areas by litigating landmark cases, including winning an appellate ruling defining the scope of software licensing and the first sale doctrine under copyright law. Ms. Shin’s most recent trial wins include a complete defense victory in a trade secret dispute where the plaintiff sought damages of nearly half-a-billion dollars, a $34 million judgment for a class of venture capital funds in a software contract dispute, and a unanimous jury verdict and punitive damages award in a trademark infringement trial.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Shin served as a White House Fellow and Special Assistant in the White House Office of the Chief of Staff. She also helped to design and launch the AmeriCorps national service program.
- Led trial team that obtained a complete defense victory for a McKesson Corporation subsidiary against a plaintiff seeking damages of nearly half a billion dollars in a trade secrets dispute.
- Led trial team that won a $34 million judgment for Draper Esprit, Scottish Equity Partners, and a defendant class of former Zeus Technology investors in a software technology and cross-border earn-out dispute.
- Led trial team that won a unanimous jury verdict against Quiksilver on willful federal trademark infringement, common law trademark infringement, and federal unfair competition claims; punitive damages; and attorneys’ fees and costs.
- Lead counsel for McKesson Corporation in a $190 million breach of NDA and trade secrets lawsuit that was successfully resolved.
- Lead counsel for Microsoft Corporation in a breach of license agreement and copyright infringement case where Microsoft won a summary adjudication ruling on its contract claim and defeated a Second Circuit petition for a writ of mandamus and motion to stay enforcement of the summary adjudication ruling.
- Lead counsel for Abbott Diabetes Care Inc. and Abbott Laboratories in securing a precedential affirmance by the Federal Circuit of the district court’s denial of attorneys’ fees.
- Representation of Autodesk in a successful Ninth Circuit appeal of an adverse ruling regarding the Copyright Act's first sale and essential step doctrines.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Chair, Rosenberg Foundation
- Former Board Member, Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery, National Partnership for Women and Families, United States District Court Northern District of California Historical Society, One Justice, Music National Service, Asian Pacific Fund
Covington Litigation Leaders Reflect on Landing Am Law's California Regional Litigation Award
January 15, 2019, The Recorder
The American Lawyer named Covington the California Litigation Department of the Year, citing high-profile matters that we have handled for California institutions like the state Senate, Uber, the City of Los Angeles, McKesson, and the University of California. The Recorder sat down to interview two of the firm's co-chairs of its Commercial Litigation ...
Feds Can't Ditch Fliers' Suit Over CBP Identity Checks
December 18, 2018, Law360
Covington successfully won dismissal of a summary judgment motion by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York in a case involving the Fourth Amendment and the Administrative Procedures Act. The Covington team is representing airline passengers who were required to show identification by U.S. Customs and Broder Protection and are now ...
Game Changer: Clara Shin, Covington & Burling
November 14, 2017, The Recorder
The Recorder recognized Clara Shin as a “Game Changer” for her successful representation of McKesson Corporation in a half-billion-dollar trade secrets case. Commenting on skills needed to achieve a come-from-behind victory, Shin says, "While it is important to respect prior counsel’s handling of the case, you must aggressively re-vet all potential legal ...
September 19, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO—The Recorder recognized Covington partner Clara Shin as a “Game Changer” for her successful representation of McKesson Corporation in a half-billion-dollar trade secrets case. Awarded in conjunction with the publication’s California Litigation Department of the Year awards, the recognition highlights individual litigators “who won big where others ...
June 12, 2017
LOS ANGELES—Covington partners Robyn Polashuk, Clara Shin, and Sonya Winner have been named to the Daily Journal’s 2017 “Top 100 Women Lawyers” list, which recognizes the leading women lawyers in California who “try complex commercial disputes and put together industry-transforming deals.” Managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office, Ms. Polashuk focuses ...
Big Suits: PSKW v. McKesson Specialty Arizona
May 2017, Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counsel features Covington's "across-the-board trial win" on behalf of McKesson in a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake. Clara Shin, who led the Covington team, says, "I'm proud of the fact we came in five months before trial and took a fresh look at the record.” She adds, "In addition to showing [PSKW] was not able to prove their ...
Big Suits: PSKW v. McKesson Specialty Arizona
April 2017, The American Lawyer
Covington’s successful representation of McKesson in a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake is featured in The American Lawyer’s “Big Suits” section. According to Clara Shin, "In addition to showing [PSKW] was not able to prove their case, we used documents we found to tell an affirmative story that [McKesson] developed" the co-pay method on ...
February 13, 2017, Litigation Daily
Litigation Daily highlights Covington’s successful representation of McKesson in relation to a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake. According to Clara Shin, "In addition to showing [PSKW] was not able to prove their case, we used documents we found to tell an affirmative story that [McKesson] developed" the co-pay method on its own. She adds, ...
Pharmacy Loyalty Card Co. Escapes $250M IP Suit
February 13, 2017, Law360
Law360 highlights Covington’s successful representation of McKesson in relation to a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake. According to Clara Shin, “We’re gratified by the court’s judgment, which confirms McKesson independently developed its LoyaltyScript product.” The Covington team also included Nathan Shafroth, Robert Haslam, Christopher ...
February 10, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO—After being retained just months before trial, Covington obtained a complete defense victory for a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation in a trade secrets bench trial in which plaintiff sought damages of nearly half a billion dollars. In a lawsuit commenced in 2007, plaintiff PSKW accused McKesson of using its “new payment method” to develop ...
BTI Names Nields and Shin "Client Service All-Stars"
February 10, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO—The BTI Consulting Group has named Covington lawyers John Nields and Clara Shin to its 2017 “Client Service All-Stars” list, which recognizes “remarkable attorneys and their ability to rise above all others with the most demanding clients.” Mr. Nields, based in Washington, is a highly regarded trial lawyer and member of the firm’s litigation and ...
4 Traits Of The Top Litigation Firms
July 26, 2016, Law360
Clara Shin is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the qualities possessed by the top 20 litigation powerhouses that dominate the courtroom in bet-the-company cases. According to Shin, “We view every case and every trial as a way to reinforce our reputation.” She continues, “People come to Covington because of our reputation for delivering a bespoke, tailored ...
February 10, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO - After a week-long bench trial, a Covington trial team won a $34 million judgment on behalf of clients Draper Esprit, Scottish Equity Partners, and a class of former Zeus Technology investors, prevailing in a lawsuit initiated by San Francisco-based Riverbed Technology. The case, tried in San Francisco Superior Court, lay at the intersection of ...
Shin and Haslam Named Top IP Lawyers in California
April 11, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2014 — Covington & Burling partners Robert Haslam and Clara Shin were named to the Daily Journal’s annual list of “Top Intellectual Property Attorneys” in California. The list recognizes 75 litigators and 25 patent managers and patent prosecutors from around the state. Ms. Shin was recognized for work representing clothing company ...
March 13, 2014, The AmLaw Litigation Daily
July 26, 2013, California Apparel News
- BTI Consulting Group, "Client Services All-Stars” (2017-2018)
- The Recorder, Litigation "Game Changer" (2017)
- Daily Journal, Top 100 Women Lawyers (2017)
- Benchmark Litigation, "National Litigation Star" (2018)
- Benchmark California "Litigation Star" (2018)
- Daily Journal, Top Intellectual Property Attorneys (2014)
- Daily Journal, Top Verdicts (2013-2014)
- Northern California Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women (2015)
- Northern California Super Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation (2013-2017)
- Legal 500 US, Intellectual Property - Copyright (2013-2017) and Dispute Resolution - Appellate - Supreme Court (2017)