RashaGerges Shields

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Los Angeles + 1.213.243.2719

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Rasha Gerges Shields is a former federal prosecutor with nearly 20 years of first-chair trial and appellate experience. Rasha defends companies and executives in high-stakes civil and criminal matters, including DOJ and State Attorneys General enforcement actions. She also helps companies conduct internal investigations and develop effective compliance programs. She has been the lead trial counsel in federal court, has argued before the California Supreme Court and federal/state appellate courts, and has submitted amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court as lead counsel.

Rasha has significant experience litigating complex civil cases both affirmatively and defensively, involving a broad spectrum of claims, including contractual disputes, trade secret theft, product liability, fraud, antitrust and unfair business practices, racketeering, and claims against financial institutions. Rasha has also represented clients in government investigations relating to public corruption, tax, civil rights, fraud, health care, and cybersecurity.

Rasha has an active pro bono and public service practice. She was the sole recipient of California Minority Counsel Program's Law Firm Diversity Leader Award in 2018. She is the immediate past president of the Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California, past president of the UCLA Law Alumni Association, and holds leadership positions in the Women's White Collar Defense Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, California ChangeLawyers, and several diversity pipeline programs.

Rasha serves on the Firm's diversity committee and on the Constitutional Policing and Civil Justice Reform Task Force. She immigrated from Egypt and is a first generation professional.

Experience

  • Swiss bank employees avoid U.S. criminal tax chargesJones Day represented a pool of current and former employees of a large Swiss financial institution being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly aiding and abetting tax evasion by the bank's U.S. customers.
  • International U.S.-based software company conducts internal investigation into allegations of employee misconductJones Day conducted an internal investigation into allegations that employee misconduct resulted in the disclosure of confidential information of an international U.S.-based software company.
  • Global packaging company conducts independent investigation in Netherlands of breached shipping containerJones Day conducted an independent investigation in the Netherlands arising after a global packaging company discovered that a container used to transport the company's products from the United States to Europe contained a large amount of narcotics.
  • U.S. company responds to bribery investigation by Chinese GovernmentJones Day represented a U.S. company in connection with requests by the Chinese government for testimony and documents, pursuant to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, in a bribery investigation involving our client's business transactions with a Chinese company.
  • Internet software company avoids criminal copyright infringement chargesJones Day represented an internet software company and its partners in a criminal investigation conducted by the FBI for allegedly selling counterfeit software.
  • Scholars file amicus brief in Ninth Circuit related to executive order on immigrationJones Day filed an amicus brief on behalf of a group of constitutional law scholars to assist the Ninth Circuit as it considered whether to grant an emergency stay of a temporary injunction entered by the District Court for the Western District of Washington.
  • Parallel Capital Partners sells 12 office buildings located in Sorrento Valley area of San Diego to Boston-based Longfellow Real Estate PartnersJones Day advised Parallel Capital Partners, Inc. in its $112 million sale of 12 office buildings located in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego to Boston-based Longfellow Real Estate Partners.
  • California Women's Law Center and Veterans Legal Institute file amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court advocating for the rights of active duty mothers and their childrenJones Day filed an amicus brief on behalf of California Women's Law Center and Veterans Legal Institute to assist the U.S. Supreme Court as it considered whether to grant a petition for writ of certiorari relating to the rights of children of active duty mothers to allege negligence claims against military hospitals for birth injuries. 
  • Legal scholars file amicus brief in Second Circuit in support of sexual assault victim at military academyJones Day filed an amicus brief on behalf of a group of legal scholars to assist the Second Circuit as it considered whether a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point could bring claims under the Federal Torts Claims Act for the rape and sexual harassment she endured.
  • Jones Day obtains asylum for unaccompanied minor from GuatemalaA Jones Day Los Angeles team of Rasha Gerges Shields, Michael Dailey, Jessica Sawyer, and Joe Gonzalez recently obtained asylum for our client, W.C., an unaccompanied minor who fled Guatemala for the United States at age 16.
  • Federated defends employee arbitration programFederated Department Stores, Inc. retained Jones Day to enforce its nationwide voluntary employment arbitration program, including its class action waiver, in the face of multiple putative class actions involving wage-hour claims.
  • Bloomingdale's wins disqualification of class representatives in wage and hour actionJones Day represented Federated Department Stores, Inc. in a putative class action by employees alleging off the clock work, unlawful wage deductions, missed meal and rest breaks, waiting time penalties, improper wage statements, conversion of wages, and unfair business practices.
  • Wrongfully convicted client seeks compensation for over 20 years of imprisonmentJones Day represented a client before the California Victim Compensation Board seeking restitution for the time he spent in prison for a murder he did not commit.
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    March 2021 Alerts

    Robert Andres Bonta Selected as California Attorney General

    July 28, 2020 Webinars

    Transforming the Minneapolis Police Department: Reviewing the Minneapolis Police Contract – and Comparing It With Those of Other Cities

    January 2020 White Paper

    Evidence Collection in Criminal Investigations: Cross-Border Issues and Corporate Employee Considerations

    October 29, 2019 Firm Hosted

    Women in IP Speaker Series: What You Need to Know About Trade Secrets and the Recent Rise in Trade Secret Litigation

    February 2018 External Publications

    Protecting Company Information From Disloyal Employees, Corporate Counsel

    September 2015 Commentaries

    Phishing for Corporate Dollars: The Emerging Global Threat Posed by Spear Phishing and Business Email Compromise

    Speaking Engagements

    • April 2021
      Challenges and Opportunities for Arab American Lawyers, National Arab American Bar Association
    • March 2021
      Race in the Courtroom: A Look at How Race and Racial Justice Are Influencing Litigation Across the Legal Spectrum, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Litigation Forum
    • October 2020
      Succeeding as an Arab American Lawyer, Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California
    • October 2020
      Making Legal Representation Representative, UCLA Law Alumni Association
    • July 28, 2020
      Transforming the Minneapolis Police Department: Reviewing the Minneapolis Police Contract, Jones Day Webinar
    • July 16, 2020
      Building Allyship Among Attorneys of Color, California Minority Counsel Program
    • June 2020
      Trade Secrets Theft, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer's West Coast White Collar Crime Conference
    • October 29, 2019
      What You Need to Know About Trade Secrets and the Recent Rise in Trade Secret Litigation
    • May 2019
      The President's Address, Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California's Annual Banquet
    • April 27, 2018
      Marijuana Prosecutions: California v. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Fidler Institute on Criminal Justice
    • April 18, 2018
      Leaders Create More Leaders - Leading and Developing Diverse Leaders In-House and in Law Firms, California Minority Counsel Program
    • January 31, 2018
      Effectively Responding to Government Investigations, Jones Day MCLE University
    • January 31, 2018
      Navigating the Attorney-Client Privilege Around the Globe, Jones Day MCLE University
    • November 28, 2017
      Women and Minorities on Boards, National Association of Women Business Owners - Los Angeles Chapter
    • May 24, 2017
      Leadership Essentials, California Diversity Council's Annual Southern California Diversity & Leadership Conference
    • April 21, 2017
      Interview with the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California's Annual Banquet
    • January 25, 2017
      How to Deal with Ethical Lapses (Real or Perceived) Once They've Occurred, Jones Day MCLE University
    • October 20, 2016
      What to Do When the Government Comes Knocking, California Minority Counsel Program's Annual Business Conference
    • January 27, 2016
      Lawyers Behaving Badly: How to Avoid Being Tomorrow's Headline, Jones Day MCLE University
    • August 25, 2015
      Mobile Privacy and Security Issues in 2015: Practical Guidance to Mitigate Data Breaches
    • June 10, 2015
      Cybersecurity for Lawyers: Understanding and Complying with Your Ethical Obligations, Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California
    • March 20, 2015
      Cybersecurity: An In-House Primer, Motion Picture Association of America
    • January 22, 2015
      Ethical Blind Spots -- Top-Rated Lawyer Shows on Television Score Poorly on Legal Ethics, Jones Day MCLE University
    • January 14, 2015
      Prosecuting and Defending Doctors & Pharmacists in Prescription Drug Cases, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers' 35th Annual Advanced Criminal Law Seminar
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