Kirkland & Ellis has added Prerak “Pre” Shah as a partner in Houston, bringing aboard a prominent state attorneys general specialist from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as state-level enforcement becomes an increasingly important concern for major companies.
Shah had served as co-leader of Gibson Dunn’s state attorneys general practice. His move comes at a time when state attorneys general are playing a larger role in disputes involving consumer protection, competition and corporate regulation.
Before entering private practice, Shah held several high-profile government and political roles. He served as senior counsel to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and was acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas in 2021. He also worked as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and previously served as chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
After joining Gibson Dunn in 2021, Shah became involved in major litigation, including cases that placed him on the opposite side of the Texas attorney general’s office.
Among those matters was a challenge brought by food industry trade groups against a Texas law requiring warning labels for certain ingredients, including food dyes and preservatives.
Shah also represented BlackRock in a federal antitrust lawsuit brought by Texas and a group of other Republican-led states. The case accused BlackRock and other large asset managers of using climate-related investment strategies that allegedly affected coal production and energy prices.
Court records indicate Shah is stepping away from both matters following his transition to Kirkland.
The recruitment reflects the growing importance of state attorneys general in corporate litigation. Over the past decade, AG offices across the country have expanded enforcement efforts and increasingly joined forces in large-scale actions against major companies.
Recent cases have underscored that influence. A coalition of state attorneys general recently reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with Meta over allegations concerning the impact of its social media platforms on children. States have also scored significant victories in competition-related litigation involving major businesses.
Shah said state attorneys general are now at the center of some of the corporate world’s most consequential disputes and indicated that he wants Kirkland to become a leading destination for companies facing major state AG investigations and litigation.
His arrival gives Kirkland another experienced hand in a legal arena where the power of state regulators continues to grow.
