Shawn Cobb is an associate in the San Diego office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department. He specializes in securities litigation and professional liability, and is also a member of the firm’s intellectual property practice group.

Cobb recently completed a nearly two-year litigation engagement to verdict involving highly publicized allegations of fiduciary fraud against a Fortune 500 company. After more than four months of trial and a nine-figure damage claim by plaintiffs, the jury returned verdicts that were highly favorable for the defense. Cobb was primarily responsible for the defense’s legal arguments. Over the course of trial, Cobb prepared numerous briefs and engaged in over three full weeks of oral argument addressing a host of contested legal issues, ranging from the intricacies of unclean hands and usury law to economic and non-economic damage limitations in fiduciary fraud cases. 

Prior to attending law school, Cobb worked for five years with Northrop Grumman Inc. as a consultant, where he primarily advised the U.S. Department of Defense and various members of the U.S. intelligence community in the areas of risk identification and analysis.  During this time, Cobb also led an independent risk analysis team tasked with assessing Northrop Grumman’s exposure on its highest-risk current and proposed operations. During a three-year period, he led dozens of engagements involving contracts valued at between eight and 11 figures. In this capacity, Cobb routinely presented results in highly adversarial proceedings against opposing financial and technical experts before a panel of corporate executives. Cobb received numerous awards for his service, including the President’s Award from Northrop Grumman/TASC and an award from the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence. 

Cobb also served for nine years in the U.S. Army Reserve. He initially served in the Medical Corps as an enlisted Medical Specialist assigned to a field hospital unit and later as a commissioned officer in the Medical Service Corps assigned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In 2002, he transferred to the Military Intelligence Corps, where he served as the Battalion Intelligence Officer (S-2) for the 11th Psychological Operations Battalion, 2nd PSYOP Group until 2005. Cobb was honorably discharged in 2007. 

Cobb received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008, an M.A. from Georgetown University in 2001 and a B.S. at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, School of Business in 2000.