CLARENCE & DYER - Key Persons
Abbie Chin joined the firm in 2003 as our Executive Administrator bringing years of experience as a paralegal and legal secretary in civil litigation matters.
Adam Shearer represents individuals and businesses in complex civil litigation and criminal matters, including thorny cases involving securities, antitrust, fraud, bribery, tax controversies, and employment disputes. Adam's clients face a range of challenging legal problems and have a diverse set of goals. He has helped his clients win at trial, and has helped them avoid litigation altogether by getting the best settlement possible before a case is even filed.
Adam thrives at listening to his clients, diagnosing their legal issues, and crafting a results-oriented path to achieve their objectives.
Adam joined the firm after three years as a law clerk at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, first serving the Hon. Joseph C. Spero (2011-2012) and then the Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley (2012-2014). Prior to clerking, Adam was a Public Interest Fellow at the Federal Public Defender's Office in San Francisco. Adam is a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, where he interned for the San Francisco City Attorney's Complex and Affirmative Litigation team, and volunteered for the Tenants' Rights Workshop.
Adam was a member of the trial team that won an acquittal for the former global head of foreign exchange of a multinational investment bank. Our client was accused of orchestrating a $6 billion front-running scheme against a large information technology company. At the close of the government's case, the Court granted our Rule 29 motion on all counts, recognizing that no reasonable jury could convict based on the evidence presented.
Adam also represented a major California utility in a first-of-its-kind federal prosecution stemming from alleged regulatory violations. After motion practice and trial, the company achieved dismissal or acquittal on 22 of 28 counts, including allegations which could have resulted in fines in excess of $1 billion.
Kate Dyer brings a "can do" approach to her representation of companies and individuals. Kate's ability to see.
Kate Dyer always brings a can-do approach when solving her clients' problems, whether she's representing a major corporation, a small business or an individual. Her ability to see the big picture in the midst of the most challenging and complex civil matters, including high-risk, bet-the-company litigation, has made Kate a "go-to" lawyer when thorny and demanding problems need efficient and effective solutions. Kate has broad experience handling a wide range of cases in the state and federal courts. She defends Fortune 200 companies and their employees facing sensitive claims involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, parallel civil/criminal proceedings and other high-profile matters with multi-million dollar exposure.
Kate regularly wins favorable outcomes for her clients, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which she has represented in numerous substantial matters state-wide, including a tragic 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion where Kate was a senior member of a multi-firm team handling a series of civil, regulatory, and criminal matters. The case culminated in a two-month criminal jury trial in federal court, where the company's exposure was reduced from over $1.1 billion to $3 million.
Kate is a frequent speaker on a wide variety of topics ranging from litigation strategy to internal investigations to legal ethics. She has been a guest speaker at the American Bar Association, the Northern District of California Judicial Conference, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, the Bar Association of San Francisco, Yale University, Stanford Law School, Berkeley Law, U.C. School of Law and numerous other local, state and national law schools and conferences.
Kate is an active member of the local state and federal bars. She has served as Chair of two Magistrate Judge Selection Panels for the District Court for the Northern District of California, is a former member and co-chair of the Lawyer Representatives of the Northern District of California to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference and serves on the Executive Committee of the Edward J. McFetridge Inn of Court.
In addition, Kate has been recognized for her civil litigation defense skills as a Northern California Super Lawyer in San Francisco Magazine every year since 2006.
Nanci Clarence is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with over three decades of experience defending clients inside and outside of the courtroom. Representing companies and individuals in criminal prosecutions, investigations and civil proceedings, Nanci is a go-to lawyer for cases in high-profile, high-stakes cases where reputations, careers and personal freedom are on the line.
With courtroom experience earned as a former public defender and multi-national large firm litigator, Nanci has tried dozens of cases and argued appeals successfully in the federal and state courts around the country. She is a Fellow of the American College of trial lawyers and has taught trial advocacy at the nation's leading law schools while also serving in a leadership position advising the United States Sentencing Commission. She has been recognized by the Northern District of California for her many years of service to the Court and brings an insider's perspective to litigation there and beyond.
Nanci was tapped to serve as the President of the Bar Association of San Francisco and currently serves on Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Judicial Advisory Committee for the Northern District of California.
Respected for her ability to get along with people from all walks of life, Nanci has a track record of success in working with co-counsel to ensure the best outcomes for her clients who often seek her out for her skill in managing their most significant challenges.
Chambers USA has described Nanci as a "consummate problem solver" with "a great sense of judgment and balance, and great people skills."
Nanci's recent representations include a former senior executive of Wells Fargo & Co. in multiple enforcement and civil actions arising from allegations of improper sales practices as the bank, the CEO of a publicly-traded healthcare company in a SEC/DOJ investigation, a former CEO of a world-wide internet platform, and globally recognized biochemist and big firm lawyer in insider trading