Shemia Fagan

Attorney Shemia Fagan is passionate about civil rights for workers as the intersection between human dignity and economic stability. Licensed in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Federal Court, Shemia takes on the tough cases involving discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, and wage theft.

Her unapologetic, no-holds-barred approach has driven remarkable settlement results in 2024, 2025, and 2026, including $3.5 million for an office worker who was fired while battling breast cancer; $2 million for a 75-year-old project manager terminated because of age discrimination; $1 million for a parking attendant fired due to race discrimination; $375,000 for a young medical professional targeted in a racially biased investigation; and $350,000 for a food delivery driver terminated after an emergency room visit.

What sets Shemia apart for her clients is not just the results, but the way she empowers her clients by breaking down the complex legal system into each actionable step.

She is unique among attorneys nationwide for giving her clients simple on-demand videos and easy to understand graphics that reduce stress and empower her clients in the courtroom. Shemia’s clients walk away not only with justice, but with a sense of understanding through the twists and turns of the legal system.

Before joining HKM, Shemia spent five years on the other side of the courtroom, defending corporations at a major Portland law firm from 2009 to 2014. That insider experience now fuels her fierce, strategic takedowns of corporate misconduct.

From 2013 to 2023, Shemia brought that same fearless energy to public service, serving in the Oregon Legislature and as Oregon Secretary of State. She helped pass landmark laws expanding access to voting, establishing statewide paid family and medical leave, and securing bold new housing protections for renters across the state.

Outside the courtroom, you can find Shemia on a different kind of court, enthusiastically coaching her girls’ youth basketball team.