Current Role
  • Of Counsel, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
  • Prosecutes personal injury cases and class-action cases on behalf of consumers
  • Currently represents victims against The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein and related companies for racketeering and sexual assault
  • Currently represents current and former students of the University of Southern California in a class-action lawsuit against the university and Dr. George Tyndall for his alleged decades-long sexual abuse of patients
  • Continues to represent victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to obtain protection orders so that their abusers cannot have any contact with them
  • Also represents crime victims who wish to keep their counseling records private during criminal proceedings
Experience
  • Litigation associate, Williams Kastner, where she planned and executed a civil caseload involving defense of physicians, hospitals, dentists and other healthcare providers. While at Williams Kastner, Ms. Smith developed successful litigation strategies, handled case discoveries, secured depositions, managed trial preparation, drafted and argued legal motions, and conducted voir dire and jury trials
  • Prior to working at Hagens Berman, Ms. Smith worked for 10 years at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, working on cases in a diverse set of areas, including the sexual assault, violent crime, district court, domestic violence, felony filing and special drug units. During her 10 years as a prosecutor, Ms. Smith tried over 100 felony jury trials.  She spent five years in the Domestic Violence Unit and Special Assault Unit where she handled hundreds of cases involving physical and sexual abuse of children and adults
Pro Bono
  • Through Seattle’s Sexual Violence Law Center, sought civil protection orders for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and harassment. She also worked to protect the privacy rights of survivors in criminal cases
Recognition
  • 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2024
Notable Cases
  • Volkswagen Emissions Defect Litigation
  • Mercedes BlueTEC Emissions Litigation
  • GM Ignition Switch Recall
  • Corvette Overheating
  • Harvey Weinstein Sexual Harassment RICO
  • USC and Dr. George Tyndall Sexual Abuse
Personal Insight

Shelby Smith was born and raised in Seattle, and graduated from Garfield High School—which also boasts Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix as alums. She has a passion for live music and fashion, and has never met a sport she did not enjoy competing in: while raising her three children and practicing law, Shelby plays on competitive indoor and outdoor soccer teams, and runs at least one marathon and two half-marathons every year.

CLIENT REVIEW

“Thank you to everyone who saw this case through and all of their incredible work, including our lawyer Shelby Smith ... Smith, an attorney with Hagens Berman in Seattle, volunteers her services through the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC). She was a lifeline when we first reported to SafeSport and unsure of our legal rights and responsibilities. She provided support, advice, and guidance throughout the entire process and insisted on doing it all pro bono with the support of her firm despite our attempts to compensate her.” — Cameron Mason, client