Page 13 - Miami Vol 7 No 2

Evidenced by the fact that Shook has women leading or co-leading o ces in Orange County, Chicago, London, Tampa, Houston, and of course, Miami, their policy is not a branding ploy or marketing slo- gan, but a sincere commitment.
Or, more precisely, as noted by Shook Chair Madeleine Mc- Donough, who leads the rm’s 12 national and London o ces, “At Shook, we consider daily how we are intentionally cham- pioning and developing diverse lawyers. Creating a culture of belonging is a critical compo- nent of engaging and advancing our lawyers.”
McDonough has made an intentional push to profession- ally develop a diverse attorney workforce. To that end, more than half of the work done for several big clients is billed by Shook Hardy women attor- neys, and more than 20 percent is billed by attorneys who are members of the LGBT commu- nity.
STRENGTH IN TRIAL
“While we are growing our reach up and out, our bread and butter will continue to be pro- viding defense to big, national companies that are facing dif- cult cases against plainti s throughout the state of Florida,” Geraghty says. “As we grow our business, we will continue to focus on that. In fact, I think we will only become more of a
resource for our clients in that area for years to come.”
Check with any in-house counsel about their litigation short list and Shook, Hardy & Bacon lawyers are certain to be on it. In fact, according to one in-house counsel interviewed by Chambers, “Shook is loaded with talent, integrity and com- mitted to client service.”
With a deep and talented bench of seasoned trial lawyers, supported by an even deeper bench of professionals with ad- vanced degrees in the sciences, engineering and a wide range of technical disciplines, the in-house team has repeatedly proven to be a game-changer.
“From a litigation perspec- tive, I think Miami is a full-ser- vice rm,” Sastre says. “When I talk about our strengths, I always turn to our trial experi- ence in high-stakes cases. When you look at the work Shook has done on $20 to $100 million cases in that arena, you will see that we have tried more of those cases to verdict in the past 15 years by a lot when compared to any other law rm.”
Something that has not gone unnoticed in the legal commu- nity. As one Chambers market commentator said, “No one has been in as many jury trials as Shook, recently.”
“Candidly, that’s something I’m most proud of,” Sastre says. “We understand intimately how to put a case together and how to talk to a jury so it’s relatable and we come across as likable as well as persuasive. I think that’s where we shine.”
As Shook Miami enters its third decade, the leadership is dedicated to raising the rm to the next level while hold- ing steady to the values, prin- ciples and drive that make up itsfoundation.Withateamof dedicated professionals behind them, we can only hope that the dedication of the founders will be carried on into the next century.
TALIA ZUCKER, JOHN BARKETT, EILEEN MOSS AND DAN ROGERS | PHOTO BY ROBERT KLEMM
AT a glance
SHOOK, HARDY & BACON L.L.P.
Citigroup Center
201 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 3200 Miami, FL 33131
(305) 358-5171
www.shb.com
PRACTICE AREAS
Product Liability Intellectual Property Privacy and Data Security International Arbitration
SELECT FORTUNE 500 CLIENTS
British Petroleum Boston Scienti c Philip Morris USA Stryker
TEAM
Managing Partner William P. “Bill” Geraghty Administrative Managing Partner Hildy Sastre 14 Miami Partners
7 Miami Associates
7 Miami Of Counsel
SELECT HONORS
Product Liability Defense Firm of the Year, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, 2005-Present
Commercial Litigation, Chambers USA Product Liability, Chambers USA
Value Champion, Association of Corporate
Counsel
50 Best Law Firms for Women, Working
Mother Magazine
Best Law Firms for Diversity, Vault Gold Standard Award, Women in Law
Empowerment Forum