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.
Representative Experience
- 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.
Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- State Bar of Minnesota
Professional & Community Affiliations
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.
Thought Leadership
TEACHING AND LECTURING
- New Developments and Strategies for Efficient, Cost-Effective Dispute Resolution, Practicing Law Institute, New York, New York
- Accounting 101 For Attorneys, National Business Institute, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Liability Issues For Accounting Firms, CPAsNET.com, 17th Mid-Year Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee
- Litigation Issues Affecting Auto Dealers, National Alliance of Auto Dealer Advisors, Summer Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Recognition
- 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 (2010-2023)
- Lawyer of the Year (2021)
- Selected to Super Lawyers list, Minnesota Super Lawyers (2003-2004, 2006, 2008, 2011-2022)
- Recipient of Cardozo Society's 2018 Sidney Barrows Lifetime Commitment Award
News
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Best Lawyers Recognizes 14 Greene Espel Attorneys on the 2023 Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Lists
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16 Greene Espel Attorneys Recognized on the Minnesota Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
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Client Win: Judge Grants Complete Dismissal for Greene Espel Client in Class Action Accountant Liability Case
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Minnesota Lawyer and Finance & Commerce Name Attorneys John Baker and Larry Shapiro as 2021 ICON Honorees
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Greene Espel Attorneys Recognized in 2022 "Best Lawyers in the Midwest" Publication
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Best Lawyers Recognizes 14 Greene Espel Attorneys on the 2022 Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Lists
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Award: Super Lawyers Recognizes 13 Greene Espel Attorneys on the 2021 Minnesota Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
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Best Lawyers 2021 "The Employment Law Issue" Recognizes Greene Espel Attorneys
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Award: Larry Shapiro Recognized by Minnesota 500
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Award: The Best Lawyers in America 2021 Recognizes 17 Greene Espel Lawyers
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Award: Super Lawyers Recognizes 20 Greene Espel Attorneys
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Eleven Greene Espel Lawyers Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America 2020"
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2019 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists Include 18 Greene Espel Attorneys
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Greene Espel congratulates Larry Shapiro on his receipt of the Cardozo Society’s 2018 Sidney Barrows Lifetime Commitment Award
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Nine Greene Espel Lawyers Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America 2019"
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Greene Espel Lawyers Receive Recognition in 2018 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
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Nine Greene Espel Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
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Super Lawyers Recognizes Thirteen Greene Espel Lawyers in 2017
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Seven Greene Espel Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2017
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Super Lawyers 2016 Recognizes Sixteen Greene Espel Attorneys
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Best Lawyers in America 2016 honors seven Greene Espel attorneys
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Super Lawyers 2015 recognizes fifteen Greene Espel attorneys for honors
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Best Lawyers in America 2015 lists seven Greene Espel attorneys
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Super Lawyers 2014 recognizes twelve Greene Espel attorneys for honors
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Seven Greene Espel attorneys named North Star Lawyers for pro bono service
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Best Lawyers in America 2014 lists seven Greene Espel attorneys
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Super Lawyers 2013 recognizes eleven Greene Espel attorneys for honors
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Best Lawyers in America 2013 lists six Greene Espel attorneys
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Super Lawyers 2012 recognizes ten Greene Espel attorneys for honors
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Greene, Luger, and Shapiro named to Best Lawyers 2012 list
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Super Lawyers recognizes ten Greene Espel attorneys for honors
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Greene Espel named to U.S. News - Best Lawyers list of “Best Law Firms”
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Greene Espel client wins summary judgment in asbestos case
Practice Areas
- Accountant Liability
- Antitrust and Competition
- Business Litigation
- Class Actions
- Compliance and Anti-Corruption
- Construction and Design
- Employment
- Insurance and Reinsurance
- Intellectual Property
- International
- Investigations
- Pro Bono
- Securities
- White Collar Criminal Defense
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