Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) shield protects sensitive components of a hand-held device where the ESD can enter the unit along a seam or join of the casing halves. The shield employs a insulating film of high electrical strength, e.g., Mylar. This is cut into a sheet that folds for insertion into one casing half. A printed conductive path on the Mylar aligns with the weak zones in the casing, i.e. the seam, and conducts any static charge away from the electronic components, and preferably to a grounding point such as a recharging contact. The region of the insulating sheet adjacent the sensitive circuitry is free of the printed conductive material.