About Lara Shelly
Lara Shelly Anthony built a foundation in public policy and languages before turning to the law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies and German from Duke University in 2004. Three years later she graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, receiving her J.D. in 2007.
Her legal career has been grounded in private practice. Anthony joined Fenwick & West LLP and has worked there in roles that involve advising and representing the firm's clients. Her time at the firm has involved day-to-day client counseling and the kinds of transactional and advisory work typical at a firm advising business clients.
Anthony is licensed to practice in both California and New York. Those dual admissions shape the geographic reach of her practice and allow her to handle matters for clients with connections to both states. Working across those jurisdictions requires attention to differing state rules and an ability to coordinate work that spans state lines.
Colleagues describe her as methodical and focused on practical results for clients. She approaches matters by breaking complex issues into manageable parts and then addressing each piece. That approach suits the type of client work she has encountered at Fenwick & West LLP, where business-driven questions and fast timelines are common.
Her academic background in public policy and a second language informs how she communicates with clients and colleagues. Studying policy at Duke introduced her to cross-disciplinary thinking. The German language study sharpened an ear for detail and for precise expression. At law school she learned to translate those skills into legal analysis and drafting.
Outside the office she has maintained professional ties to the legal community. She has been a member of professional organizations since early in her career, participating in activities that keep her current on developments affecting her practice. That engagement supports her work and helps maintain networks across the two states in which she is licensed.
Anthony remains at Fenwick & West LLP, where she works on matters for clients operating in California and New York. She continues to practice law at the firm, handling matters that arise for its corporate and business clients.
