Shara is a trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor who guides clients with expertise, strategic insight and empathy through government scrutiny of all types. She has advised and defended individuals and organizations suspected of insider trading, bank and wire fraud, bribery, theft of trade secrets, racketeering, conspiracy, false statements, anti-kickback violations, and economic espionage. She also advises charter airline, aircraft management, EVTOL manufacturing and flight center clients who rely on her for advice for employment, business and litigation issues.
Given her extensive experience as a prosecutor in forfeiture actions, clients routinely turn to Shara when their assets are seized and slated for forfeiture by federal government authorities. She has represented business owners, charities, spouses and other innocent owners seeking return of their homes, funds and other property, including tens of millions in assets seized or targeted by the Department of Justice following revelations of fraud by crypto firm FTX Trading Ltd. and its founder Sam Bankman Fried.
Shara also defends civil litigants in class actions and multi-district litigations involving product liability, false claims, fraud, antitrust, securities, workplace discrimination and harassment, breach of contract, and corporate governance claims. Shara brings strategic and tactical expertise in all aspects of trial proceedings and appeals.
Before becoming a partner with Illovsky Gates & Calia LLP, Shara was with a large international firm. Prior to that, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where she successfully tried a case involving a million-dollar food stamp fraud and threats against an IRS agent. Shara also helped return assets to victims in the Madoff conspiracy, helped repatriate to Brazil hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of modern artworks purchased with the proceeds of a massive bank fraud, and obtained, after trial, a civil forfeiture judgment leading to the return of a Camille Pissarro lithograph stolen from a French museum many years earlier.
Shara is admitted to practice law in both California and New York.