Dean Shaffer

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Mr. Shaffer is a commercial litigator who has helped clients achieve their litigation goals through motion practice, trial, appeal, and settlement, working across a wide range of industries and claims. He has represented businesses large and small in class actions, multidistrict litigation, federal regulatory investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and commercial disputes. Through those past representations, he has developed expertise in the workings of the financial services, telecommunications, information technology, steel, beverages, commercial laundry equipment, and cabling industries.

Mr. Shaffer began his career at the Am Law 100 firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in Washington, D.C. before moving to a litigation boutique in Denver, Colorado. He then served as a law clerk to the Honorable Larry Alan Burns and the Honorable Mitchell D. Dembin in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Before attending law school, Mr. Shaffer served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkmenistan.

Mr. Shaffer is admitted to practice in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.

 

 

 

Education

  • Harvard Law School, J.D., 2011
  • University of Mary Washington, B.S., summa cum laude, Economics, 2005

Representative Cases

  •  Represented a major financial institution in a multidistrict class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Sherman Act in connection with credit default swaps.
  • Defended a steel manufacturer against claims that the manufacturer and its competitors had agreed to curtail production.
  • Represented a client in connection with a criminal antitrust investigation by the United States Department of Justice.
  • Defended a major financial institution against class claims of price manipulation in commodities markets.
  • Defended a European financial institution against claims of bid-rigging with respect to municipal derivatives.
  • Represented a vertical search engine in relation to monopolization claims against Google, Inc.
  • Represented a major technology company in connection with its acquisition of a cellular phone manufacturer.
  • Represented a beverage manufacturer in connection with trade secret claims. 
  • Litigated claims that a manufacturer client’s former customer had misappropriated its trade secrets. 
  • Won a jury verdict on behalf of a manufacturer bringing breach of contract claims against a former customer. 

Clerkships

  • Hon. Larry Alan Burns, Chief District Judge – U.S. District Court, Southern District of California 
  • Hon. Mitchell D. Dembin, Magistrate Judge – U.S. District Court, Southern District of California