Kate is a Partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Houston Office. Her practice focuses on complex, high-stakes energy and infrastructure litigation and arbitration, Kate is a seasoned trial lawyer with substantial experience in the upstream and midstream sectors and in the clean energy and renewables space. She has appeared in federal and state courts and international and domestic arbitrations in forums across the country.
Kate has been recognized as a “Key Lawyer” for Energy litigation: Oil and Gas by Legal 500 (2022), an “Up and Coming Lawyer” for General Commercial Litigation in Houston, Texas by Chambers USA (2022), and was named a Law360 Top Attorney Under 40 for Energy (2020).
Known for her relentless, creative approach to problem-solving; her commonsense and plainspoken approach with judges, arbitrators, and juries; and her unique ability to distill complex topics into simple, compelling stories, Kate has achieved stellar results for clients on both sides of the docket, including nine-figure awards and settlements for plaintiffs and complete dismissals for defendants. Kate was a key part of the team that won and confirmed a $720 million ICDR arbitral award on behalf of Vantage Deepwater.
Kate clerked for the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Kate is a Past President of the Federal Bar Association for the Southern District of Texas.
- Capital Power Corp.
- DCP Midstream, LP
- Innergex Renewable Energy
- SH 130 Concession Company
- Talen Energy Corporation
- TOTAL E&P USA, INC.
- Vantage Drilling International
- Trial counsel for DCP NGL Services, LLC in a CPR arbitration to recover damages for breach of a long-term dedication agreement in the Delaware Basin. Proceedings are ongoing.
- Trial counsel for Buckthorn Wind Project, LLC, a subsidiary of Capital Power Corp., in a breach of contract dispute against JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, concerning the interpretation of an energy hedge agreement in ERCOT. Proceedings are ongoing.
- Trial counsel for ARM Energy Management, LLC in a breach of contract dispute in Dallas County Court adverse to Medallion Pipeline, LLC, concerning a crude oil transportation contract out of the Permian Basin and a terminal contract in Corpus Christi.
- Trial counsel for Shannon Wind, LLC, a subsidiary of Innergex Renewable Energy, in a declaratory judgment and breach of contract action filed in Harris County court against Citibank, NA, concerning the application of an energy hedge agreement’s force majeure clause in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri. Proceedings are ongoing.
- Trial counsel for multiple Texas wind farm projects that are defendants, along with hundreds of other participants in the Texas electricity market, in a Texas personal-injury MDL relating to Winter Storm Uri. Proceedings are ongoing.
- Trial counsel for Talen Energy Corporation in breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent transfer litigation concerning legacy coal-fired assets in Montana. Proceedings are ongoing.
- Trial counsel for Reorganized SH 130 Concession Company, LLC, in an adversary proceeding in the Western District of Texas seeking more than $300 million in fraudulent transfers out of the estate and to recover for breaches of fiduciary duty. The case settled favorably for Reorganized SH 130 in 2021.
- Trial counsel for Reorganized SH 130 Concession Company, LLC, in an ICC arbitration to recover for damages under a contract to construct Segments 5 and 6 of Texas State Highway 130, between Austin and Seguin. The case settled favorably for Reorganized SH 130 in 2021.
- Trial counsel for Vantage Drilling International in an ICDR arbitration to recover damages for pretextual termination of long-term deepwater drilling contract. The arbitration resulted in a $720 million award in Vantage’s favor that the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas confirmed in 2019, and the Fifth Circuit affirmed in 2020.
- Trial counsel for TOTAL E&P USA in a series of contract disputes in the Southern District of Texas concerning decommissioning of deepwater oil wells and pipeline. TOTAL E&P USA obtained a favorable result at trial that was sustained on appeal to the Fifth Circuit.
- Trial counsel in confidential international arbitration for oil major in dispute regarding a net profits interest in an oil and gas venture.
- Lead trial counsel for Momentum Telecom in opposition to breach of contract and motion for TRO filed in the Southern District of Texas. Defendants voluntarily dismissed after the TRO was denied.
- Trial counsel for major pharmaceutical company in defending a trade secret action filed in Texas state court. The parties reached a favorable settlement after targeted discovery.
- Trial counsel for individual defendant in currently pending FERC market manipulation action.
- Trial counsel for major dialysis company in defending a False Claims Act qui tam action in the Eastern District of Texas. The parties reached a favorable settlement.
- Columbia Law School
(J.D., 2006)- Columbia Law Review:
- Articles Editor
- James Kent Scholar
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- Hamilton Fellow
- Columbia Law Review:
- Stanford University
(B.A., with honors, with distinction, Music & Philosophy, 2003)- Phi Beta Kappa
- The State Bar of Texas
- The State Bar of New York
- United States District Court:
- Northern District of Texas
- Eastern District of Texas
- Southern District of Texas
- Western District of Texas
- Southern District of New York
- Law Clerk to the Hon. Carolyn Dineen King:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2009-2010
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2009-2010
- Law Clerk to the Hon. Lee H. Rosenthal:
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2008-2009
- Named Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Energy Lawyers for Energy Litigation (2023)
- Recognized as a “Key Lawyer” for Energy litigation: oil and gas by Legal 500 (2022)
- Named “Up and Coming Lawyer” for General Commercial Litigation in Houston, Texas by Chambers USA (2022)
- Law360 Top Attorney Under 40 – Energy (2020)
- Kate Shih & Nico Caluda, 6 Key Issues from Foreign Discovery Argument at Hight Court, Law360 (March 29, 2022)
- Kate Shih, 10 Tips for a Successful Remote Arbitration Hearing, Law360 (June 29, 2020)
- Panel presenter, 2018 Houston Bar Association, ADR Conference, regarding vacatur of arbitral awards
- Federal Bar Association, Southern District of Texas Chapter:
- Immediate Past President