After completing her clerkship, Shelley began her practice with a large law firm in New York City, representing private companies in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and private equity financing transactions. Shelley's New York practice also included representing sovereign nations in offerings of debt securities. In 2002, Shelley was transferred to the New York firm's London office where her practice focused on high-yield debt offerings and other financing transactions.

Shelley returned to Arizona in 2004, and her practice now focuses primarily on representing clients in a variety of business transactions and corporate governance matters, including representation of both public and private companies in securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity financings and other significant business transactions. Her practice also includes assisting public clients in securities laws compliance matters, including periodic reporting and corporate governance issues, and representing growth companies in establishing strategic relationships, joint ventures, technology licensing and distribution relationships, executive employment and compensation arrangements and other matters.

Shelley's representative clients have included: iCrossing, Inc., The Inventure Group, Inc., ILX Resorts Incorporated, MedAire, Inc. and Nero Inc.