Overview
Emily Shook focuses her practice on all aspects of commercial litigation, complex and novel commercial disputes, and white-collar work, including internal and government investigations involving both civil and criminal inquiries. She has experience assisting national and global clients across a variety of sectors, including in the pharmaceutical, financial services, technology and communications, construction, and agriculture industries.
Emily’s experience is wide-ranging, including defending claims of breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, securities law violations, and alleged violations of the False Claims Act (FCA), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Dodd-Frank, and other federal and state statutes. She has provided counsel on trade secrets, antitrust matters and in ensuring compliance with local and federal laws, and her experience extends to defending clients against DOJ, SEC, and CFTC enforcement actions.
Emily maintains an active pro bono practice, with a focus on closing the justice gap. She is a recipient of the Public Interest Law Initiative’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her strong commitment to public interest and pro bono legal work.
- Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court, Southern District of Illinois
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- J.D., Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, cum laude; Publications Editor, Journal of International Law
- B.A., The University of Oregon, magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa, Family & Human Services
Representative Matters
- Represented former CEO of Fortune-500 pharmacy chain retailer in connection with SEC investigation and matter resolution.
- Defended information technology leader against claimed violations of the Lanham Act and state fraud and deceptive practices statutes.
- Developed novel case theories to support claims of theft of business trade secrets on behalf of a global telecommunications client.
- Won discovery dispute against US FinTech firm that defrauded investor clients and attempted to evade obligations under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 (pursuit of US discovery to support foreign claims) by veiling connection to its UK parent; successfully obtained like orders in a dozen US jurisdictions.
- Obtained not guilty verdict following trial for pro bono client facing multiple felony charges under accomplice liability theories.
News & Publications
Noteworthy
- Best Lawyers, "One to Watch" (2021-2023)
- Distinguished Alumni Service Award, Public Interest Law Institute (2016)
Authored Articles
- "Investigations & White-Collar Academy: Preparing Client for Government Testimony," Practising Law Institute, June 7, 2017
- "'Mocktails' For Seeking Balance in the Profession," The Chicago Bar Section, Young Lawyer Section Blog @theBar, September 5, 2017
Media Mentions
- "Students in need: Paul Hastings' Emily Seymore helps students with special needs succeed," Chicago Lawyer Spotlight, Chicago Lawyer Magazine, December 1, 2017
Previous Employment
- Clerk to Assistant Deputy Regional Counsel, US Office of Environmental Protection – Region 5
- Extern, The Hon. Marvin E. Aspen
Professional Affiliations
- YPC Committee, Women's White Collar Defense Association (2015-present)
- Board member; former co-chair, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice (2018-2020)