Paul W. Shakespear

Bar Admissions

• Nevada
• Utah

Court Admissions

• Supreme Court of Nevada
• Supreme Court of Utah
• United States District Court, District of Nevada
• United States District Court, District of Utah

Education

• J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University (J.D.)
  • Managing Editor, Education Law Journal
  • Vice President, Natural Resources Law Society
• Southern Utah University (B.A., Political Science, summa cum laude)
  • Kenneth R. Benson, Outstanding Student Award
  • Alpha Chi and Pi Sigma Alpha, Member

Languages

Spanish

Awards & Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2024-2025)
• Utah’s Legal Elite: Civil Litigation, Utah Business Magazine (2017-2022)
• Mountain States Super Lawyers^®, Rising Stars Edition
  • Personal Injury Defense (2013-2016)
  • Business Litigation (2010, 2017-2020)

Representative Experience

Product Liability and Catastrophic Injury Defense

• Paul has represented manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of products, including motor vehicles, ATVs, industrial equipment and cleaning supplies, food and other restaurant supplies, construction supplies, and pharmaceuticals and medical devices. He has handled asbestos and toxic tort litigation for a variety of clients. Paul has also defended clients in catastrophic injury cases arising from premises liability and other types of negligence.

Real Estate and Construction

• Paul represents project owners and developers in real estate and construction disputes involving commercial lease rates, quality of construction, and a 20-lot luxury home project. Paul has represented real estate agents and brokerage companies, developers of luxury properties, and owners involved in disputes with contractors.

Natural Resources, Energy and Utility Law

• Paul has represented project owners and developers in defending against challenges brought by NIMBY groups, demonstrating compliance with NEPA requirements and conditional use permits for mining and utility clients, in addition to working with clients on interconnection requests, regulatory matters, and expanding or maintaining easements and leased rights of way.

Contracts

• Paul represents clients in all types of contract disputes, including software as a service licenses, partnership agreements, operating agreements, non-competition and non-solicitation, insurance, and real estate agreements, for clients from a wide variety of industries.

Financial Services

• Paul has represented several financial institutions when sued by customers and non-customers for alleged involvement in wire and other types of fraud, aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty, improper loan underwriting, breaches of loan agreements, and wrongful foreclosure.

Insurance

• In addition to defending a variety of insureds under insurance policies for errors and omissions, comprehensive general liability, property, and title insurance, Paul also represents insurers in coverage disputes and claims of bad faith liability.

Corporate and Partnership Control Disputes

• For limited liability companies, partnerships and intra-family disputes, Paul represents clients involved in struggles for control of assets, shares and voting rights. This representation includes advancing or defending claims regarding fiduciary duties, operating and partnership agreements, and non-competition and non-solicitation.

Previous Professional Experience

• U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Field Solicitor, Intermountain Region, Legal Intern (2005)
• J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, Research Assistant for John E. Fee and James R. Rasband (2005-2007)

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Utah Defense Lawyers Association

Community Involvement

• American Lung Association, Utah Chapter, Board of Directors

Representative Presentations and Publications

• “Utah Enacts new Act to Prevent Financial Fraud in Vulnerable Adults,” Co-Author, Utah Business (May 20, 2020)
• “How to Avoid Ethics Violations in a Social Media World,” Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel Mountain West Chapter Ethics at the End CLE (November 13, 2014)
• “An Answer to the Intentional Tortfeasor Question,” Author, Attorney At Law Magazine (Vol. 3 No. 3)