Shannon Z. Petersen

TEL: 619.338.6656
CELL: 858.449.2978
FAX: 619.234.3815

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San Diego
501 West Broadway
19th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

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Shannon Z. Petersen

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Partner  

Shannon Z. Petersen is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office.

Areas of Practice

Dr. Petersen has substantial trial experience as a general business litigator, including consumer class action defense. He has successfully represented clients in claims involving breach of contract, insurance bad faith, unfair business practices, false advertising, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, wrongful foreclosure, unfair debt collection, unfair credit reporting, unjust enrichment, misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark infringement, quiet title, emotional distress, construction defect, privacy, and receiverships, among others. He is also experienced with California statutory claims under California's Unfair Competition Law (UCL), Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), Rosenthal Act, Automobile Sales Finance Act (ASFA or Rees-Levering), Vehicle Leasing Act, Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), and various state laws regulating foreclosures and repossessions. He is equally familiar with federal claims under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Acts (RESPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Fair Credit Reporting Acting (FCRA). He represents clients in a variety of industries, including financial services (primarily mortgage and auto finance), insurance, health care, and others.

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2000
  • J.D., Stanford Law School, 2000, with distinction
  • M.A., University of Montana, 1995
  • Fulbright Fellow, Université de Saint-Louis, Sénégal, 1994
  • B.A., University of Montana, 1993, with high honors

Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Central, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California

Languages

  • French
  • Russian

Representative Clients

Financial service clients include Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, San Diego County Credit Union, Toyota Financial, and GM Financial (formerly AmeriCredit).

Insurance clients include Liberty Mutual, Safeco, Golden Eagle, and Lockton Companies.

Healthcare clients include CVS Pharmacy, OmniCare, and various physician medical groups.

Recent Litigation Successes

As lead trial counsel, complete victory following two recent jury trials, one bench trial, and two arbitrations.

Compelled arbitration and enforced a class action waiver in favor of a large auto finance company.

Dismissals of dozens of mortgage-related cases, including many class actions, following motions to dismiss.

Dismissal of healthcare privacy class action following a motion.

Dismissal of over a dozen insurance bad faith cases following the filing of motions for summary judgment.

Honors

  • 2013, Certificate Of Recognition for Pro Bono Services from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • 2008, recognized as a "Top Young Attorney" in San Diego by The Daily Transcript
  • 2007, 2003, 2002, California Bar Association Wiley Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services
  • 2003, Nominee, California Bar Association President's Pro Bono Service Award, Recently Admitted Category
  • 2002-2003, San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Distinguished Service Award
  • 1992, Honorable Discharge, U.S. Navy, Russian linguist

Memberships

  • American Financial Services Association
  • Pro Se Panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, San Diego
  • Editorial Board of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, San Diego
  • Barrister, Louis M. Welsh Chapter of the American Inns of Court
  • State Bar of California and San Diego County Bar Association

Articles

Books

  • Author, Acting for Endangered Species: The Statutory Ark, Development of Western Resources Series, Kansas University Press, 2002 (hardcover) and 2007 (paperback).  Favorably reviewed by The Journal of American History (June 2003); History: Reviews of New Books (Summer 2003); Perspectives on Political Science (Summer 2003); Environmental History (April 2003); Stanford Environmental Law Journal (Jan. 2003); Animal Keeper's Forum (2003); and Choice (Dec. 2002)
  • Contributor, Dictionary of American History, 3rd Edition, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. Contributed essays on the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Clean Water Act of 1987, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sierra Club, and the Highway Beautification Act
  • Co-Author, The Endangered Species Act, Stanford University Press, 2001

Speeches

  • Organizer and Presenter, Association of Business Trial Lawyers Trial Skills Seminar, San Diego, CA, October 2012, 2010, and 2008.
  • Speaker, Continuing Legal Education Presentation on Receiverships, San Diego, CA, August 2008.
  • Dr. Petersen has taught courses at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of Montana, Missoula.