Shannon Lankenau is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice.

Ms. Lankenau received her JD in 2013 from University of California, Hastings College of the Law where she was awarded the Pro Bono Society Achievement Award and was a member of the Hastings Law Journal. Additionally, Ms. Lankenau received her MA in International Affairs from the George Washington University.

After law school, Ms. Lankenau served as a law clerk for the Judge Larry R. Hicks of the United States District Court, District of Nevada. During law school, she also externed for Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court, Northern District of California.

Publication

“Towards Effective Access to Justice in Haiti: Eliminating the Medical Certificate Requirement in Rape Prosecutions,” 64 Hastings L.J. 6 (2013)

Ms. Lankenau’s noteworthy cases include defense of:

  • Monsanto in multiple public nuisance, trespass, and natural resource damages lawsuits brought by municipalities and states involving polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in various West Coast water bodies
  • Dow Chemical in a public nuisance and products liability lawsuit brought by the City of Modesto, California, alleging perchloroethylene (PCE) contamination of drinking water and PCE vapor intrusion
  • Clorox in a public nuisance and California Consumer Legal Remedies Act lawsuit brought by Earth Island Institute related to plastic pollution in California coasts and waterways
  • Marathon Oil Company in a public nuisance lawsuit brought by MDR Hotels, Inc. involving a blowout of a 1930s-era oil well and soil contamination in Southern California
  • Southern California Edison against multi-million dollar citations issued by the Safety and Enforcement Division of the California Public Utilities Commission
  • Montrose Chemical Corporation of California in CERCLA litigation brought by the United States and California Departments of Justice involving dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) contamination in Southern California

Professional Background

Prior to attending law school and joining Latham, Ms. Lankenau worked as a technical writer and editor for the Engineering Standards team at Chevron.

Bar Qualification

  • California

Education

  • JD, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2013
    magna cum laude
  • MA, The George Washington University, 2009
  • BA, University of San Diego, 2006

Languages Spoken

  • English