Shawn Patrick Regan

Mr. Regan is the Practice Group Leader of our Corporate & Securities Litigation and Government Investigations practices. 

Shawn represents clients in their most vexing matters, often involving regulatory and public relations elements or novel jurisdictional, substantive and procedural issues. He handles complex business disputes, securities litigation, government and regulatory investigations, cross-border litigation and putative class/mass actions, involving contracts, torts, fraud and other common law and statutory claims. Shawn’s experience, judgment, zealous advocacy and bias for collaboration have led him to be appointed to numerous leadership positions outside the firm, including his current role as President-elect of the Federal Bar Council, the Second Circuit’s premier bar organization.

Energy:

Shawn has extensive experience representing clients in the electric power generation, oil, coal and renewables industries. Over the last decade-plus he has been at the forefront of litigation related to climate change in numerous state and federal trial courts, appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, including the landmark AEP decision. Separately, he has defended and advised clients in the coal mining and electric generation industries under investigation by the NY Attorney General with respect to potential securities fraud under New York’s Martin Act. In the project development space, Shawn has represented power producers, grid operators and other parties in litigation and AAA/ICDR arbitrations. His other matters have included a multi-week bench trial for a grid operator concerning allocation of project development costs, and obtaining pre-hearing dismissal on the merits in an arbitration alleging transactions constituted a change-of-control triggering the off-taker’s right to purchase the facility prior to a tax equity transaction and COD. He also prevailed on a matter of first impression regarding application of the federal filed-rate doctrine to the deregulated wholesale energy market.

Financial Services:

Shawn represents public and private companies, banks, REITs, mortgage companies and executives in complex civil litigation, government investigations and securities fraud suits. He also counsels institutions on litigation avoidance. Shawn has handled several multi-party lawsuits arising from early redemption of corporate bonds. He advises on and oversees numerous regulatory, litigation and licensing matters for a mortgage servicing company. He was counsel in SEC/CFTC investigations and litigation for a pension fund victimized in a $1.3b ponzi scheme. He is part of a team serving as counsel to a former SEC Commissioner appointed as monitor arising from the SEC/NYAG dark-pools investigations. Highlights of his past experience include defense of a large bank in litigation and FINRA arbitrations related to CDS transactions (obtaining complete victory and recovery of fees), defense and dismissal of 10(b)(5) and other fraud claims brought by foreign investors, obtaining dismissal of a large bank in a putative RICO class action arising from an international ponzi scheme, and winning dismissal of an underwriter bank under the act-of-state doctrine in a suit challenging terms of a foreign-bank issuer’s bond offering. Shawn’s experience defending REITs includes prevailing on a motion to dismiss an 11-count complaint alleging fraud, contract and business tort claims, and second-chairing a trial arising out of a novel tax-advantaged 1031-exchange program involving hedging tools resulting in dismissal of adversary’s claims and pre-verdict settlement payment.

Data-Technology:

Shawn has represented and advised companies in the data and technology industries for more than twenty years.  Early in his career, for example, he represented leading companies that revolutionized CRM software, the online affinity marketing industry and online search.  He has also represented incumbent global leaders and emerging FinTech, RegTech, MarTech and IoT disruptors in the mortgage servicing, outsourcing, insurance services, retail, securities trading and construction industries.  His work includes litigation, arbitration, investigations and coordinating licensing and transactional work. 

Consumer-Retail: 

Shawn has represented consumer product and retail companies ranging from the largest companies to small startups and in-between. His matters include clients in the retail, consumer products, home products, beverage and antiquities sectors, on matters ranging from consumer fraud, commercial contract litigation, lease and property development disputes, government investigations, IP litigation and employment and ERISA class actions. He has defended civil RICO matters and led appeals on novel issues under the NY consumer protection laws including at the NYS Court of Appeals and Second Circuit. He also has counseled companies on long-range risk issues and jury exercises.

Shawn maintains a diverse pro bono and public service practice that has included amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court on issues of securities law and other issues, achieving political asylum for persecuted refugees, successfully prosecuting actions under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction and, by appointment of an SDNY judge, representing an elderly woman swindled from her home in a 20-year fraud, ultimately achieving unencumbered return of the property for the client. Shawn also is Chair of the 1162 Foundation, an organization that, among other things, pays off home mortgages for Gold Star Families of Navy SEALS and other select U.S. Special Forces personnel who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

• Named a Litigation Star, New York, Benchmark Litigation, 2024-2025

• Selected as a Super Lawyer for Business Litigation Law, The New York Times Magazine, 2010-2023

• United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grievance Committee, Attorney Panel (2013-present)
• Federal Bar Council:
  - President-elect (2022-present)
  - Treasurer (2018-2022)
  - Executive Committee Member (2016-present)
  - Board of Trustees (2010-present)
  - Executive Director Search Committee (2016-2017)
  - Chair, Law Day Dinner (2015)
  - Chair, Winter Bench & Bar Conference (2013)
  - Chair, Spring Judicial Reception (2001)
  - Awards Committee (2014-present)
  - Inn of Court: Master, Judicial Liaison & Member (2000-present)
• 1162 Foundation, Board Chairman
• DC Bar Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2019
• NYS Bar Association, Empire State Counsel Award (2011-2016)
• Supreme Court of the United States Historical Society, New York City Chair (2015-2017)
• Board of Visitors, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (2008-2016)

• Federal Bar Council
• NYS Bar Association: Commercial & Federal Litigation Section
• Supreme Court of the United States Historical Society