Practice Expertise

  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Appellate
  • Class Action Litigation

Areas of Practice

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Appellate
  • Class Action Litigation
  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • False Advertising
  • Financial Services
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Law Firm Defense
  • Litigation
  • Manufacturing
  • Media, Entertainment and Sports
  • Securities and Derivatives Litigation
  • Securities Enforcement & Litigation
  • Securities Litigation
  • State Attorneys General
  • Trade Secrets, Trademark, and Copyright ...
  • Trademark and Copyright Litigation
  • White Collar Defense and Investigations
  • View More

Profile

Saul Shapiro is a Partner and Chair of the firm's Media and Entertainment Practice Team. He is the immediate past Chair of the firm's Litigation department, which he headed for two terms. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, as well as intellectual property disputes. He has won the dismissal of numerous cases on pre-trial motions. He has also been lead counsel in seven trials, and he has been victorious in all four of the jury trials he has taken to verdict. Mr. Shapiro is an experienced appellate lawyer, and has conducted numerous internal investigations. 

The National Law Journal recently named Mr. Shapiro to its 2023 list of “Media & Entertainment Law Trailblazers.” Mr. Shapiro is also regularly recognized as a leading practitioner in Chambers USA. Chambers has noted that clients say Mr. Shapiro is “a fantastic lawyer,” and is “known for handling high-stakes litigation, both commercial and media and entertainment focused.” Chambers quotes a client who comments that: “If we have litigation, he would be my first choice. He's a brilliant lawyer, extremely good to work with, pragmatic and has a great personality. Whenever issues come up day to day, I call Saul.” Chambers also highlights that Mr. Shapiro is “sharp, thorough, highly collaborative, strategic and easy to work with" and "has a great amount of experience." Clients also praise the "astute and highly talented” Mr. Shapiro for “his understanding of the pressures facing clients” and “his amazingly quick turnaround times."

Benchmark: America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys lists Mr. Shapiro as a "Litigation Star" for New York. Clients quoted in Benchmark Litigation have said of Mr. Shapiro, “He is a highly intelligent, diligent and commercial-minded attorney who is enjoyable to work with.” Mr. Shapiro is also named among The Best Lawyers in America®, and was recognized as a “Lawyer of the Year” in the practice area of Media Law for 2021.

Prior to joining Patterson Belknap, Mr. Shapiro graduated from Yale Law School, where he was an Editor of the Yale Law Journal, and clerked for the Hon. Robert L. Carter in the Southern District of New York.

Bar Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
  • New York
  • District of Columbia

Education

  • Yale Law School (J.D., 1986)
    • Editor, Yale Law Journal
  • Brown University (A.B., magna cum laude, 1981)

Areas of Practice

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Appellate
  • Class Action Litigation
  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • False Advertising
  • Financial Services
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Law Firm Defense
  • Litigation
  • Manufacturing
  • Media, Entertainment and Sports
  • Securities and Derivatives Litigation
  • Securities Enforcement & Litigation
  • Securities Litigation
  • State Attorneys General
  • Trade Secrets, Trademark, and Copyright Litigation
  • Trademark and Copyright Litigation
  • White Collar Defense and Investigations

Professional Career


Professional Activities and Experience

HONORS: Recognized by Chambers USA in the area of Media & Entertainment Litigation; Listed as a "Litigation Star" for New York in Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC’s Benchmark: America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys; Named among The Best Lawyers in America; Named by The National Law Journal  in its 2023 list of Media & Entertainment Trailblazers; Designated an "Elder of the Village" by Legal Outreach, the non-profit educational organization's highest honor. 



MEMBERSHIPS: Chair, Federal Bar Council Public Service Committee; Member (and past Chair), Advisory Board for Legal Outreach; Board Member, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A; Member, New York State Bar Association (Committee on Media Law); Member, Attorney Advisory Group of the Second Circuit Judicial Council Committee on Civic Education & Public Engagement




Blogs

Antitrust Update

Antitrust Update Blog is a source of insights, information and analysis on criminal and civil antitrust and competition-related issues. Patterson Belknap’s antitrust lawyers represent clients in antitrust litigation and counseling matters, including those related to pricing, marketing, distribution, franchising, and joint ventures and other strategic alliances. We have significant experience with government civil and criminal/cartel investigations, providing the unique perspectives of former...

Data Security Law Blog

DataSecurityLaw.com is the firm’s resource for the latest news, analysis, and thought leadership in the critical area of privacy and cybersecurity law. Patterson Belknap’s Privacy and Data Security practice provides public and private enterprises, their leadership teams and boards with comprehensive services in this critical area. Our team of experienced litigators, corporate advisors and former federal and state prosecutors advises on a broad range of privacy and data protection matters...

Misbranded

Misbranded is Patterson Belknap’s blog covering false advertising litigation—both consumer class actions and competitor suits—with a particular focus on FDA-regulated products (foods/beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and dietary supplements).

New York Commercial Division Decisions

The blog is a source for insights and developments related to practice in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. This blog reviews key developments in the Commercial Division, including important decisions handed down by the Commercial Division and appellate court decisions reviewing Commercial Division decisions. The blog also covers changes and proposed changes to Commercial Division rules and practice, including revisions to the rules since January 2015. The...

NY Patent Decisions Blog

NYPatentDecisionsBlog.com is a source for the latest patent decisions from the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. The blog is authored by Patterson Belknap’s Patent Litigation practice group, whose members are highly experienced trial attorneys with extensive technical knowledge. Many have advanced scientific degrees and industry experience in fields such as communications, electrical and electro-optical technology, semiconductor technology, metallurgical...

Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog

The Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog is your place to follow the criminal law decisions rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. With a rich 225-year history of legendary judges like Learned Hand and Henry Friendly, the Second Circuit has long been known for writing important and thoughtful opinions on many subjects, including the criminal law. We review every published criminal law opinion handed down by the Second Circuit in order to provide you with a summary of the...

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