Shawn Holley

Shawn Holley is a nationally recognized trial attorney and a partner at Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP, a top-tier entertainment and business litigation firm in Los Angeles. With more than 60 trials to her name, Ms. Holley represents clients in both civil and criminal litigation. Her early career began in the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, where she gained experience handling serious criminal matters. She later became Managing Partner at The Cochran Firm’s Los Angeles office and led its national Criminal Defense Section. A skilled litigator, she is best known for defending high-profile individuals and celebrities facing complex legal challenges.

Ms. Holley earned her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Shawn Holley first gained national recognition as a key member of O.J. Simpson’s defense team, and she has since become one of the most sought-after criminal defense and entertainment lawyers in the country. Her star-studded client list includes Kanye West, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Shemar Moore, Justin Bieber, the Kardashian-Jenner family, and Michael Jackson. Holley has successfully defended clients in high-stakes cases involving DUIs, assault charges, defamation, sexual assault allegations, and complex entertainment law disputes.

Ms. Holley’s courtroom wins include the dismissal of sexual assault charges against Cerissa Riley, a successful arbitration for Trevor Bauer against Major League Baseball, and the defense of actress Evan Rachel Wood in a defamation suit that concluded with the plaintiff dropping the case and paying attorney’s fees.

Shawn Holley has received widespread acclaim, including recognition in The Hollywood Reporter’s “Power Lawyers” and “Troubleshooters” lists, Variety’s “Legal Impact Report,” and the Daily Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” and “Top Women Lawyers.” She has also served as a legal analyst for major media outlets such as CNN, ABC, NBC, and Court TV, and continues to teach trial advocacy at Cardozo Law School’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program in New York. With a reputation built on legal excellence and fierce client advocacy, Ms. Holley remains a dominant force in high-stakes litigation.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP

Licensed State

• California

Education

• Southwestern University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of California
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges