Sara Jane Shanahan
Partner, Litigation Department Chair
Overview & Experience
Insights & Activities
Sara Jane Shanahan is chair of the firm's Litigation Department and co-chair of the Business Litigation Practice Group.
Her practice focuses on complex business litigation and insurance coverage disputes. Sara represents a variety of clients such as hedge funds and investment managers, generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, national retailers, insurers, insureds, shareholders of closely-held corporations and officers and directors of public corporations.
Prior to joining the firm in December 2008, Sara was partner at Griesinger, Tighe, & Maffei, LLP and junior partner at Hale and Dorr LLP. After law school, Sara clerked for the Hon. Nathaniel M. Gorton, U.S. District Judge for the District of Massachusetts.
Experience
- Hedge funds and the investment manager with regard to claims against their third party administrator
- National retailer in arbitration and litigation with third party business brokers
- Hospital patent-owner in licensing dispute with medical device manufacturer
- Generic drug manufacturers in False Claims Act and products liability litigation
- Insurers and insureds in complex insurance coverage disputes
- Minority shareholders in closely-held corporations regarding breach of fiduciary duty and voting trust claims
- Homeowners in arbitrations regarding construction disputes
- Successfully obtained summary judgment on securities fraud claims for defendant; Federal District Court denied plaintiffs’ motion for class certification
- Internet operating and development company prevailing on all claims in two week jury trial regarding insurance coverage
Accolades
- Ranked in Chambers USA for Litigation: General Commercial – Massachusetts
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America©
- Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Insurance, Boston (2020)
- Included in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- Top Women in Law
- Included in Massachusetts Super Lawyers
- Top 50 Women in Law
- Top 100 New England
- Perlman Service Award from the fellows of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA)
- Listed in 2019 Benchmark Litigation
Speaking Engagements & Publications
- “Using or Defeating COVID-19 Liability Waivers: The 60-Minute Lawyer,” panelist, MCLE, September 10, 2020
- “Bad Faith Claims Handling – G.L. c. 93A and G.L. c. 176D,” Massachusetts Liability Insurance Manual, chap. 13, 3rd edition 2017 with 2020 supplement, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc., May 5, 2020
- “Year in Review: Top 10 Cases,” panelist and conference co-chair, MCLE 19th Annual Business Litigation Conference, February 2020
- “Ch. 176D Claims in Commercial Litigation: When Does Liability Become “Reasonably Clear?,” speaker, Boston Bar Association, November 2019
- “Trending Issues in Business Litigation, Intellectual Property and Bankruptcy: Insights from Leading Attorney Practitioners,” moderator, MBA Fourth Annual Complex Commercial Litigation Conference, April 23, 2019
- “Year in Review: Top 10 Cases,” panelist and conference co-chair, MCLE 18th Annual Business Litigation Conference, February 2019
- “Unexpected Liabilities and Exposures,” panelist, MCLE 17th Annual Business Litigation Conference, February 2018
- “Bad Faith Claims Handling – G.L. c. 93A and G.L. c. 176D,” Massachusetts Liability Insurance Manual 2017, chap. 13, 3rd edition, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc., 2017
- “5 Risk Management Practices Innovators Should Follow,” Xconomy.com October 2015
- “Evidence: Strategic Considerations for Summary Judgment and Trial”, Boston Bar Association, January 2015
- “Social Media: When to use it, When to Lose it – The Legal Implications of Social Media for Law Firms and Clients,” Women in E Discovery Panel, June 2014
- “Avoiding Expensive Litigation after the Deal is Done,” Massachusetts Family Business, July 2013
- “Service providers should review their own contracts” Boston Business Journal, June 2013
- “Cornwell ruling a warning to investment managers,” Boston Business Journal, March 2013
- “Cornwell’s $50M Jury Award Wake-Up Call For Advisors,” Private Wealth Magazine, February 2013
- “Cyberbullying and Social Media Misuse: Prevention and Response,” Magna Online Seminars, August 2012
- “RE and Social Media: A Legal Perspective,” The Real Reporter, July 2012
- “Social Networking Policies: Mitigating Risks and Reaping Rewards,” ALM General Counsel Conference, June 2012
- “How to Protect Your Students from Cyberbullying,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 2012
- “Why You Should Protect Your Employees’ Twitter Accounts,” CFO, December 2011
- “Social Media Policies and Practices Your Company Can ‘Like’,” moderator, New England Legal Foundation Fall Breakfast Program, October 2011
- “Privacy and Privilege When Communicating With Clients Via Email,” speaker, Boston Bar Association Luncheon, October 2011
- “Slow the Trigger When Firing Over Twitter,” CFO, September 2011
- “Litigation Potluck: How to Avoid Litigation and How to Manage It Effectively If You Can’t,” panelist, Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Chapter, July 2011
- “Preparing Your Company for Social Media Challenges,” panelist, 23rd Annual Corporate Counsel Conference East Coast, June 2011
- “To Preserve and Protect: Warding Off Wiki-Like Attacks,” Corporate Counsel, January 2011
- “Directors Urged to Submit Comment to SEC on Whistleblower Provisions,” with Jason Drori, Corporate Board Member, December 2010
- “Warding Off Shareholder Derivative Suits: Diligence and Faithfulness Are the Keys,” Corporate Counsel, August 2010
- “Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Decision Supports Public’s Rights in the Waterfront,” Sherin and Lodgen LLP Client Advisory, August 2010
- “Looking Inward,” Corporate Counsel, June 2010
- “One Size Does Not Fit All: Approaches to Internal Investigations,” speaker, Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Chapter, March 2010
- “Conflicting Decisions Lead to Uncertainty for Massachusetts Companies and Auditors Alike,” SumNews, Winter 2009
- “View from Both Sides of the Bench,” introduction, Boston Bar Association, January 2009
- “Tensions are rising from IRS victory in Textron case,” WebCPA.com, November 2009
- “Another View: The Eroding Attorney-Client Privilege,” The New York Times DealBook, November 2009
- “Director and Officer Liability in the Aftermath of Fraud,” Suffolk University Law School Seminar, May 2009
- “Attorney-Client Privilege for In-House Counsel,” client seminar, April 2009
- “How Private is that Email to the Contract Attorney in Mumbai? Attorney-Client Privilege in the 21st Century,” with Edward S. Cheng, Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Chapter, February 2009
- “Bad Faith Claims Handling – G.L. c. 93A and G.L. c. 176D,” Massachusetts Liability Insurance Manual 2009 Supplement, chap. 14, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2004, 2009
Memberships
- Boston Bar Foundation Society of Fellows
- Boston Bar Association
- Council, Member, elected to serve three year term, Fall 2013 – Summer 2016
- Administration of Justice Section
- Co-chair, Fall 2011 – Summer 2014
- Member, 2009-2014
- Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
- Women’s Bar Association
- Women’s Leadership Initiative, 2017-2018
Community Involvement
- Boston Bar Foundation Society of Fellows
- Girl Scouts Troop Leader, 2011 – 2016
- Co-Service Unit Coordinator, 2016 – 2018
- Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
- Board of Directors
- The New England Legal Foundation
- Massachusetts Advisory Council
- Member
- Massachusetts Advisory Council
- The Wellesley Club
- Board of Directors
- Secretary, 2014 – 2018
- Town of Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Hardy, Hunnewell and Upham (HHU) Master Plan Committee, Co-chair, 2016 – 2017
- HHU Master Plan Committee Final Report, Co-author, March 2017
