Lawrence M. Shapiro, P.A.
Attorney
Overview
Larry Shapiro has been managing complex litigation since 1981 and has earned the reputation as one of the State's preeminent business litigators.
Larry serves as lead litigation counsel in Minnesota and throughout the United States for national corporations, accounting firms, banks, reinsurers, real estate developers, closely-held businesses, and individuals. He helps clients resolve disputes involving accounting and other professional services, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, shareholders, unfair competitive practices, employment relationships, insurance and reinsurance, real estate, and construction. With a broad global network of litigators, transactional attorneys, accountants, appraisers, and other professionals, Larry can also quickly mobilize the teams required to solve a wide array of problems.
Larry has earned numerous courtroom victories and professional honors. His greatest reward, however, is more personal. Larry is a valued confidant to the inner management circle for many clients. So Larry understands their issues quickly, effectively solves their immediate problems and, perhaps most important, regularly introduces proactive litigation-avoidance strategies.
EDUCATION
- J.D., University of Michigan, cum laude
- M.S., Michigan State University, with High Honor
- B.A., Michigan State University, with High Honor
EXPERIENCE
- Shapiro Professional Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Managing Partner
- Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota
ADMISSIONS
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- State Bar of Minnesota
Larry's Practice Areas
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Accountant Liability
Explore Practice AreaGreene Espel has extensive experience in a wide variety of disputes and problems confronting accounting firms, including the representation of Big Four, regional, and local accounting firms in audit, tax, and consulting negligence lawsuits, class action securities litigation, review board proceedings, and various federal and state regulatory and criminal matters.
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Class Actions
Explore Practice AreaClients regularly turn to Greene Espel when faced with high-stakes, class-action litigation. Greene Espel attorneys have defended dozens of putative class actions in federal and state courts all across the country.
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Commercial Litigation
Explore Practice AreaOur business litigation practice embraces the wide variety of commercial disputes facing private and public companies today. Areas of particular expertise include intellectual property, antitrust, securities, employment, professional liability, and construction disputes.
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Construction and Design
Explore Practice AreaOur team has significant experience navigating construction and design disputes. We have handled a wide variety of construction disputes in trials, arbitrations, and mediations, and frequently provide advice about construction contracts, preservation of claims and evidence ahead of repairs, and use of construction documents.
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Employment Litigation
Explore Practice AreaBusinesses, public institutions, and individuals seek out Greene Espel for representation in a wide range of employment-litigation matters.
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Insurance and Reinsurance
Explore Practice AreaOur attorneys routinely handle a myriad of insurance and reinsurance analyses and disputes, including fraud investigation, coverage and measurement evaluation, and insurance arbitrations and litigation.
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Securities Litigation
Explore Practice AreaInstitutional investors and public companies alike have turned to Greene Espel in high-stakes securities litigation: fraud cases, multi-million-dollar battles over the terms of securities, class actions, shareholder disputes, RMBS, and more.
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Copyright Litigation
Explore Practice AreaGreene Espel is frequently called upon to protect copyright interests as well as defend against claims of copyright infringement.
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Internal Investigations
Explore Practice AreaWe leverage our experience to conduct sensitive and high-profile internal investigations for our clients. We also help clients navigate investigations to mitigate reputational, regulatory, and litigation risks.
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Employment Counseling
Explore Practice AreaGreene Espel partners with employers to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces, to develop and implement employment policies, and to advise about the myriad of employment issues that may arise daily.
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Employment Investigations
Explore Practice AreaEmployers rely on Greene Espel to conduct internal investigations about their most sensitive and high-stakes workplace issues.
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Non-Compete Disputes and Litigation
Explore Practice AreaEmployees come and go. When their departures implicate legal obligations, Greene Espel can help. Greene Espel mobilizes immediately when clients must seek, or defend against, expedited injunction motions that may arise when employees move from one job to another.
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Trade Secret Litigation
Explore Practice AreaFrom burgeoning high-tech companies to established international manufacturers, healthcare giants, and established financial services and insurance institutions, clients regularly turn to Greene Espel to represent them in disputes involving trade secrets.
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Trademark Litigation
Explore Practice AreaFrom premier brand-owners to niche device manufacturers, clients seek Greene Espel’s counsel in complex disputes involving trademarks.
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Patent Litigation
Explore Practice AreaFrom lead medical-device companies to major high-tech manufacturers, clients turn to Greene Espel to represent them in significant disputes involving patents and other intellectual property rights.
Cases & Wins
- Larry has extensive experience in representing Big Four, regional and local accounting firms in audit, tax and consulting negligence lawsuits, class action securities litigation, review board proceedings, and various federal and state regulatory and criminal matters. Larry’s successes include defending claims that a Big Four accounting firm’s negligence caused the failure of a large financial institution and damages in excess of $500 million. In another matter, he obtained a complete defense jury verdict in favor of a Big Four accounting firm that had been sued for audit negligence, and obtained reimbursement for all of his client’s defense costs, including attorney fees. In another lawsuit, alleging that professional negligence and other torts led to the collapse of a Bermuda fund that invested in Tom Petters Ponzi scheme, Larry and Mark Johnson teamed with a New York law firm to obtain dismissal of all claims asserted against a Bermuda accounting firm.
- Larry has represented both closely-held corporations and minority shareholders in a large number of minority shareholder oppression lawsuits and special litigation committee proceedings. Larry’s representation has resulted in multi-billion and multi-million dollar settlements for our clients.
- Lead counsel in defense of more than fifty separate class-action lawsuits. Those actions involved a wide variety of claims, including securities law violations, employment discrimination, and improper consumer-lending practices. Larry has also successfully represented securities class-action plaintiffs.
- Larry has successfully represented Fortune 100 and 500 clients in mediations, arbitrations, and lawsuits that have involved a full range of merger and acquisition disputes, including claims for breach of contract, net working capital and other post-closing adjustments, fraud and Material Adverse Effect.
- Larry has also served as national counsel, coordinating the defense of large numbers of related lawsuits. In one such example, Larry and a team of Greene Espel attorneys coordinated the entire defense of one of the largest medical malpractice claims in U.S. history—over 44,000 separate lawsuits, with client exposure of more than $1 billion. By employing a strategy of aggressive discovery and motions, our team was able to achieve quick settlements for amounts far less than claim reserves, saving our client millions of dollars in budgeted defense costs.
- Representation of numerous clients in a variety of criminal and regulatory investigations, including many conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the United States Department of Justice, the Commodities and Futures Exchange Commission, and State Attorneys General.
- Lead counsel in a wide variety of intellectual property disputes. In one recent case, Larry and Karl Procaccini used the federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act to obtain emergency injunctive relief, preventing cyber squatters from registering, using, and trafficking 66 domain names containing the name and trademarks of three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond. Larry has also brought numerous successful patent and trademark infringement lawsuits on behalf of an international playing-card manufacturer, a Panamanian resort developer, insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, and many others.
- Lead counsel in dozens of unfair competition lawsuits. Larry and his colleagues can mobilize quickly to obtain emergency restraining orders, prevent departing employees from violating non-competition agreements or otherwise improperly use client trade secrets and confidential information.
- Larry has represented owners, architects, and contractors in a wide variety of construction lawsuits and arbitrations. Several of those cases involved claims against contractors for construction delays and defects (ranging from structural elements to curtainwalls, siding, windows, plumbing systems, and the like). Numerous other cases involved claims against owners, helping contractors enforce their contract and mechanic’s lien rights.
- Larry is regularly involved in a wide variety of employment lawsuits and problems. Much of his practice involves counselling employers, helping them avoid lawsuits through training and proper handling of hiring, termination, and reduction in force situations. Larry has represented clients in a full range of employment administrative proceedings and litigation—wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and other employment issues. Larry is also regularly involved in negotiating severance agreements on behalf of employers and employees alike.
Larry's Recognition & Awards
- 2021 ICON honoree, Minnesota Lawyer and Finance & Commerce
- Recognized as one of "the most powerful business leaders in Minnesota," by Minnesota 500 (2020)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2010-2024)
- Lawyer of the Year (2021)
- Selected to Super Lawyers list, Minnesota Super Lawyers (2003-2004, 2006, 2008, 2011-2023)
- Recipient of Cardozo Society's 2018 Sidney Barrows Lifetime Commitment Award
Larry's Community Involvement
- Phillips Eye Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Past Member of the Board of Trustees of the foundation for the second largest surgical eye care hospital in the United States.
- Temple Israel, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Past Vice President
- Sholom Community Alliance, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; Past President of non-profit corporation which owns and operates nursing homes, assisted living facilities and independent housing.
- Community Housing & Service Corporation, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Past President of senior housing non-profit corporation.