Shapiro was admitted to the California bar in 1969. He has represented famous athletes, including O.J. Simpson, Darryl Strawberry, José Canseco and Vince Coleman.[4] He has also represented other celebrities, including Johnny Carson, Christian Brando, Linda Lovelace, the Kardashians and F. Lee Bailey. [5] In 1998, he sued Strawberry for unpaid legal fees; The case was eventually settled out of court. [6] ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES Mr. Shapiro is co-founder of LegalZoom.com, ShoeDazzle, RightCounsel.com and BizCounsel.com. His business experience allows him to better understand the needs of his business clientele. A distinguished attorney of justice, recognizing the highest standards of legal excellence, Robert Shapiro, a longtime founding member, graduated from Loyola Law School in 1968. After opening his own law firm in 1972, Shapiro embarked on a firm path, often representing famous clients who had minor run-ins with the law. In 1994, he was hired as a member of O.J. Simpson`s defense team and was part of what would become the “trial of the century.” Although Shapiro had always had an excellent legal reputation, the O.J.
Simpson trial would become the ultimate cornerstone of his career. Mr. Shapiro`s transition from criminal defense to civil litigation in high-profile cases such as O.J. Simpson, Christian Brando and F. Lee Bailey has given him unique and extensive litigation experience. He successfully represented Wynn Resorts Ltd and the board of directors of Wynn Resorts in the dismissal of their major shareholder, which involved a 5-year litigation. He was lead counsel in Rockstar v. Pepsi, a contract dispute with energy drinks, and successfully negotiated the extension of a distribution agreement for its client. His successful representation of Mobil Oil`s president in proceedings resulting from a refinery explosion led to the dismissal of all claims and the restoration of his client`s reputation.
His vigorous representation of Ecology Control Industries led to a favorable settlement of a wage and hour class action lawsuit. Diamond Resorts has relied on its expertise in numerous litigation and companies related to its holiday, timeshare and hospitality activities. He also successfully defended Occidental Petroleum in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by Colombian residents over the Colombian Air Force bombing in Colombia that killed 17 people. He acted as lead counsel in United States v. Samango, 450 F.Supp. 1097 (D.Hi. 1978), obtained the dismissal of all charges against his client. On appeal, Shapiro obtained confirmation of the Ninth Circuit`s firing in a statement issued that is the Ninth Circuit`s primary decision on grand jury misconduct. United States v. Samango, 607 F.2d 877 (9th cir.
1979). In 1996, Shapiro published his account of the Simpson trial in a book entitled The Search for Justice: A Defense Attorney`s Brief on the O.J. Simpson Case. In recent years, Shapiro has been a partner in the law firm of Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro. He also co-founded LegalZoom, an online provider of legal documentation services. Shapiro was hired on Simpson`s defense team, and in October 1995, the jury found Simpson not guilty of the murders, which already sealed Shapiro`s excellent legal reputation. After the Simpson trial, Shapiro shifted the focus from his practice to less dirty white-collar criminal defense. PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA ACTIVITIES Mr.
Shapiro writes regularly for CNN, FOX NEWS, MSNBC and has appeared as a legal expert on cable and network news channels. He has written numerous opinion and law articles, as well as the bestselling book “The Search for Justice” on the O.J. Simpson case and the novel “Misconceptions”. He has also written a children`s book, “Somo Says No,” about the dangers of drug use, which is available for free in schools across the country. Mr. Shapiro holds a bachelor`s degree in finance from UCLA Anderson Business School. He has served on the Board of Governors of UCLA and numerous honorary societies. He received his law degree from Loyola Law School, where he received two American Jurisprudence Awards, won the Scott Moot Court competition, and served as Chief Justice of Moot Court and Chair of the Loyola Chapter of the Law Society, Phi Alpha Delta. Shapiro was sued by record producer Phil Spector for refusing to repay a $1 million advance for legal services. Spector eventually settled the lawsuit against Shapiro for an undisclosed amount. [15] Recognized by the California State Bar Journal for producing one of the top ten Criminal Defense Attorneys of the Year legal articles of the 1990s, Century City Bar Association “SIMPLY PUT, IT`S A DEFENSE ATTORNEY`S JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO IS UNDER . CONTROL IS NOT ALONE.
– ROBERT SHAPIRO ChainXChange Conference, Las Vegas, Bringing the Legal Field into the 21st Century, keynote speaker Shapiro married Linell Thomas on March 8, 1970. They had two sons, Grant and Brent. “Judge Rules for Wynn in Ousted Investor`s Challenge,” by Alexandra Berzon, Wall Street Journal MarketWatch, October 2, 2012 Glaser Weil named one of Fortune magazine`s highest-rated law firms of 2012 Shapiro created Somo the Sober Monkey, a character in the children`s book Somo Says No, which has an anti-drug theme. [22] It is provided free of charge to schools. [23] Shapiro`s most prominent case was the trial of former football star O.J. SIMPSON for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and boyfriend Ronald Lyle Goldman in 1994. One of Shapiro`s first steps in the case was arranging Simpson`s transfer to the Los Angeles Police Department, which he had done for other clients. However, instead of surrendering as agreed, Simpson fled, leaving a suicide note; Soon after, he led police in a long, slow chase along Los Angeles highways, led by his friend and former Buffalo Bills teammate, Al “A.C.” Capots.