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Karen Waters Shields

Karen Waters Shields

Kean Miller LLP
  • Construction Law, Energy, Oil & Gas Law, Maritime Law ...
  • Louisiana, New Jersey, New York
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Biography

Karen Waters Shields is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. Karen is an experienced litigator with particular experience in a wide variety of admiralty and oil & gas casualty issues, including Jones Act, personal injury, oil and gas exploration, well blowouts, cargo damage, vessel collisions, vessel damage, platform damage and barge damage. Her experience with oil and gas casualties is both offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and on land. Karen also has experience in construction law, consumer credit reporting, products liability, and general personal injury litigation. Following law school, she served for one year as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Fredericka H. Wicker of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson.

Karen was selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as a 2011 Leadership in Law Award recipient, and as a 2012 recipient of the Women of Year award. She was selected for inclusion into the 2013 edition of the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers. Karen is listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2018 - 2019.

Karen earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Human and Natural Ecology from Emory University in 1993. She earned her J.D., cum laude, with a Certificate of Specialization in Admiralty Law from Tulane University Law School in 1998.

Practice Areas
    Construction Law
    Construction Contracts, Construction Defects, Construction Liens, Construction Litigation
    Energy, Oil & Gas Law
    Utilities
    Maritime Law
    Personal Injury
    Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
    Products Liability
    Drugs & Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Toxic Torts
Additional Practice Area
  • Consumer Credit Litigation
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Louisiana
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New Jersey
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New York
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5th Circuit
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U.S. Supreme Court
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United States District Courts for the Eastern Districts of Louisiana
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United States District Courts for the Middle Districts of Louisiana
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United States District Courts for the Western Districts of Louisiana
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Languages
  • English
Professional Experience
Partner
Kean Miller LLP
- Current
Attorney
Lemle & Kelleher, LLP
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Law Clerk
24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana
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Education
Tulane University School of Law
J.D. | Law
Honors: cum laude, Certificate of Specialization in Admiralty Law.
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Emory University
B.A. | Anthropology and Human and Natural Ecology
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Awards
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
Martindale-Hubbell
Women of Year award
New Orleans CityBusiness
Leadership in Law Award
New Orleans CityBusiness
AV Peer Review Rating
Martindale-Hubbell
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2018, 2019
Professional Associations
Louisiana State Bar
Member
Current
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Federal Bar Association
Member
Current
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Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA)
Member
Current
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Women's Energy Network, Southeast Louisiana Chapter
Member
Current
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New York State Bar
Member
Current
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New Jersey State Bar
Member
Current
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American Bar Association
Member
Current
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Publications
Certifications
Certificate of Specialization in Admiralty Law
Tulane University Law School
Websites & Blogs
Website
Karen Waters Shields' Website Profile
Website
Kean Miller LLP Website
Blog
Louisiana Law Blog
Contact & Map
Kean Miller LLP
New Orleans
909 Poydras Street, Suite 3600
New Orleans, LA 70112
Telephone: (504) 620-3340
Fax: (504) 585-3051