RANDA REIFF SHEA

As an attorney, Randa Reiff Shea's specialty isn't exactly a specialty. You might say she specializes in diversity. At Patton, Shea & Kiraly, Randa's diverse skills have led to craft a blended practice, mixing plaintiff’s personal injury and medical malpractice with insurance defense and subrogation. But whatever case she's taking on, Randa handles it with the same determination and attention to detail, from pre-litigation through appeal.

That determination serves her in other venues as well, as some of her greatest successes have been cases resolved outside the courtroom through arbitration or mediation. Indeed, Randa knows well that lawsuits can be costly both financially and psychologically, which is why she thoroughly appreciates forms of alternative dispute resolution that are faster, more affordable and less stressful than typical litigation. This commitment to her clients' peace of mind is also what drives Randa to frequently offer her services as an arbitrator in the court annexed program.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Randa grew up in the Scottsdale area. She pursued economics at Stanford University, graduating in 1979. But her perspective was broadened considerably outside the classroom as well: Some of her best college experiences — both academic and otherwise — emerged from a junior year in college spent in Paris, France. She returned to Arizona for law school, graduating from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1982.

Contrary to her parents’ expectations — and perhaps her own — she moved to Las Vegas following graduation from law school. After she launched her legal career in Las Vegas as a law clerk in a firm whose practice was split between personal injury and malpractice defense, she then followed the path of her partner, Randy Patton. Starting in 1983, she was an associate in the insurance defense/subrogation firm then known as Edwards, Hunt, Pearson & Hale; she was admitted to the Nevada Bar in the fall of that same year. She joined Randy Patton and Niels Pearson in 1985 one year after the formation of their new firm. She became a partner in 1988 in that firm, which came to be known as Pearson, Patton, Shea, Foley & Kurtz. She continued to practice insurance-related litigation with a special interest in medical malpractice defense until what she likes to call the "20-plus year itch" developed. That fateful itch led to the formation of Patton, Shea & Kiraly.

Randa also enjoys sharing her expertise with the wider community. She's spoken about a broad range of subjects, from medical malpractice lawsuits to risk management, to a number of conventions and professional organizations. A seasoned litigator, Randa understands that compromise and negotiation can be invaluable components in the legal process. But she understands just as deeply there are times when perseverance and a fighting spirit win the day: Randa is a breast cancer survivor, and has continued fighting back against cancer since 1996 by volunteering for the American Cancer Society.