David M S Shaiken

David M. S. Shaiken focuses his practice on commercial litigation in state and federal courts, probate and inheritance disputes, and bankruptcy litigation.

For over 36 years, David has provided lean, highly strategic advocacy for businesses, fiduciaries, professionals, and heirs facing critical financial and legal turning points. By deliberately avoiding the administrative bloat and multi-lawyer overhead of massive firms, he ensures his clients receive direct, partner-level representation tailored to right-sized, high-leverage disputes.
Primary Areas of Focus
Commercial & Business Litigation
The core of David’s practice is representing closely held businesses, co-owners, partners, LLC members, professionals, and commercial borrowers in high-stakes state court disputes. His work spans ownership breakups, critical contract disputes, and business liability matters.
• Partnership Breakups and Business Divorces
• Shareholder Oppression and Freeze-Outs
• Fraud, Breach of Contract, and Unfair Trade Practices (CUTPA)
• Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Business Torts
• Asset-Based Loan Transactions (representing commercial borrowers)
• Bankruptcy Litigation, Insolvency Fraud, and Successor Liability
David maintains an active practice representing commercial parties, fiduciaries, creditors, and affected individuals in sophisticated insolvency disputes and adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court.
• Fraud Litigation in Corporate and Large Individual Bankruptcy Cases
• Fraudulent Transfer Defense and Preference Defense
• Defense of Objections to Proofs of Claims
• Please note: This practice is focused on litigation within the insolvency context; David does not file bankruptcy petitions for consumer debtors.
Probate, Will & Inheritance Litigation
David represents heirs, beneficiaries, and fiduciaries in substantial estate disputes where the individual financial stake in controversy justifies the dedication of hourly litigation resources.
• Fiduciary Litigation (Prosecuting and defending claims against executors, trustees, and estate administrators)
• Will Contests (Undue Influence and Lack of Capacity)
• Targeted Trust Disputes
• Please note: This practice is focused on probate and trust litigation. David does not administer probate estates.
Professional License Defense & Regulatory Hearings
David represents licensed professionals facing high-stakes disciplinary actions and enforcement proceedings before state administrative and regulatory bodies.
• Defense of professional license discipline cases before the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) and other state regulatory agencies.
• Please note: This administrative practice is tailored to licensed professionals and does not include routine consumer or home-improvement contractor disputes.
Commercial Arbitration Experience
In addition to his work as a courtroom advocate, David brings deep adjudicative insight to his practice, having served for more than 20 years as a commercial arbitrator. He utilizes his extensive experience evaluating evidence and contract disputes from the finder-of-fact perspective to build sharper, more effective trial strategies for his litigation clients.
• American Arbitration Association (AAA) – Member of the National Panel of Arbitrators, presiding over dozens of complex commercial and consumer disputes.
• American Dispute Resolution Center (ADRC) & NAM (National Arbitration and Mediation) – Serving as a designated neutral panelist for private commercial disputes.
Practice Model & Case Fitting
To deliver the highest level of personal attention and cost-efficiency, David’s practice is structured around targeted, focused disputes rather than document-massed, multi-volume litigations.
Engagement Criteria & Firm Referrals
To ensure the right fit for our firm's resources, please note our intake guidelines for specific matters:
• Personal Injury: While David does not personally handle personal injury claims, these cases are actively reviewed and handled by one of his law partners within the firm.
• Out-of-Scope Matters: Our firm does not handle civil rights litigation, criminal law, consumer disputes, or consumer/debtor bankruptcy filings.
• Document Constraints: We do not accept mass-document litigations requiring extensive associate-level review (such as cases exceeding 100 boxes of discovery).
Peer Recognition & Credentials
David’s commitment to legal excellence and ethics has been consistently recognized by his peers and the premier legal directories in the United States:
• Super Lawyers – Recognized for his work in Business Litigation.
• Martindale-Hubbell – Holds the highest possible peer-review ratings (AV-Preeminent) for legal ability and ethical standards.
• Best Lawyers in America – Peer-selected for inclusion in Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy/Creditor Debtor Rights.
• FindLaw – Listed as a premier business litigation resource in Connecticut.
Bar Admissions
• State of Connecticut
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
Education
• University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., with honors
• Swarthmore College, B.A.