Shafer Partners

What Shafer Partners does

Shafer Partners is a New York-based law firm organized as Shafer Partners, LLP, specializing in insurance and corporate liability defense. Founded in 2005 (rebranded from Shafer Glazer in January 2020), the firm serves insurance companies, policy holders, third party administrators, captives, risk retention groups, and self-insured companies across New York and New Jersey state and federal courts. Its practice spans 18 areas including Construction Liability, General Liability, Transportation Liability, Insurance Coverage, Professional Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Premises Liability, Products Liability Defense, Workers' Compensation Defense, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and a Corporate Counsel retainer offering for small and mid-size companies.

The firm operates with a small bench of 8 legal professionals — 3 Partners (Howard S. Shafer, Sandra Clark, Vincent A. Henry), 2 Associates, 1 Of Counsel, 1 Counsel, and 1 Law Clerk — supported by staff across offices in New York and Hackensack, NJ. Revenue is generated through two primary models: hourly billing for litigation, arbitration, mediation, and adversarial matters; and monthly flat-fee retainers under the Corporate Counsel Practice for routine legal questions, document review, and drafting.

The firm carries Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV Peer Review Rating, is listed in A.M. Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys, and is a founding member of Your House Counsel, a national consortium of vetted insurance and corporate liability defense firms in which it holds the Downstate New York/New Jersey seat. Lead partner Howard S. Shafer has held multiple bar association leadership roles including Chair of the NY State Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section and NY State Chair of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. The firm is privately held, partner-owned, with no disclosed external investors or M&A activity.

Name

Shafer Partners

Legal name

Shafer Partners, LLP

Website

https://shaferpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shafer Partners is a New York-based insurance and corporate liability defense law firm serving insurance carriers, self-insureds, and small/mid-size companies in NY and NJ courts across 18 practice areas on hourly and retainer billing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance & Corporate Liability Defense Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary) (FSAJAGAD), Claims Advocacy & Loss Recovery Services (FSAEADAH), Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Insurance defense litigation
• Corporate liability defense
• Insurance coverage disputes
• Corporate counsel services
• Alternative dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Hourly Fee Legal Services: The firm bills on an hourly basis for most litigation matters including arbitration, mediation, administrative hearings, and adversarial proceedings. This is the primary revenue model for insurance defense and corporate liability matters.
2. Corporate Counsel Monthly Retainer: The firm offers a monthly flat fee retainer agreement for the Corporate Counsel Practice, covering routine legal questions, document review, and drafting letters for small and mid-size companies. Work expected to take less than one hour is included in the flat fee; larger projects are billed hourly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shafer Partners is a New York- and New Jersey-based law firm providing insurance and corporate liability defense representation to insurance companies, policyholders, third-party administrators, captives, risk retention groups, and self-insured companies. The firm delivers litigation defense across more than a dozen practice areas (construction, general, transportation, professional, premises, products, employment, workers' compensation, environmental/toxic tort, security company liability, directors & officers, and appellate) and offers a separate retainer-based Corporate Counsel practice providing ongoing general counsel support to small and mid-size companies.

Product overview

Shafer Partners is a law firm specializing in Insurance and Corporate Liability Defense, offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services through multiple practice areas. The firm provides both traditional litigation defense and alternative dispute resolution services across its core offerings including Construction Liability, General Liability, Transportation Liability, Insurance Coverage, Professional Liability, and Corporate Counsel services. The Corporate Counsel program operates as a distinct retainer-based offering providing house counsel services to small and mid-size companies. The firm also offers specialized practice areas such as Employment Practices Liability, Environmental/Toxic Tort, Security Company Liability, Premises Liability, Products Liability Defense, and Workers' Compensation Defense. All services are delivered by attorneys with extensive experience in insurance and corporate liability defense, working primarily in New York and New Jersey jurisdictions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Your House Counsel: A national consortium of highly regarded insurance and corporate liability defense law firms. Shafer Partners is a founding member firm of Your House Counsel.

Products and services

• Construction Liability Defense Legal defense services for personal injury, property damage, and construction defects cases, representing developers, general contractors, and subcontractors in construction-related matters.
• Corporate Counsel Practice Flat monthly retainer house counsel service for small and mid-size companies covering routine legal questions, document review, and drafting of letters; projects taking less than one hour are included, with larger work billed hourly.
• Employment Practices Liability Defense Insurance defense representation for companies and employees in state and federal courts for employment-related claims including harassment, discrimination, and wrongful discharge.
• Environmental / Toxic Tort Defense Legal representation for building owners and managers in environmental matters including asbestos, mold, sick building claims, and oil/chemical spills and leaks.
• General Liability Defense Defense representation in all types of general liability matters including assault and battery, negligent security, landlord/management liability, and property damage cases.
• Insurance Coverage Disputes Handling of insurance coverage disputes on behalf of insurance companies and policy holders whose coverage has been denied, including coverage opinions and disclaimer drafting.
• Professional Liability Defense Defense of attorneys, chiropractors, dentists, nursing homes, architects, engineers, accountants, real estate brokers, and agents against professional liability claims.
• Security Company Liability Defense Defense of private security companies in lawsuits by third-parties and client companies, including assault, false imprisonment, and negligent hiring cases.
• Transportation Liability Defense Representation for trucking companies, bus companies, fleet owners, rental companies, car services, and private individuals in motor vehicle related lawsuits, claims, and arbitrations.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Out-of-court dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation, including assistance in establishing resolution protocols before disputes arise.
• Appellate Practice Defense Handling of appeals from motions and trials, including appeals from interlocutory orders on discovery, summary judgment, and pre-trial matters.
• Attorney Malpractice Defense Defense analysis of attorney malpractice claims, evaluating liability and damages aspects for quick and cost-effective resolution.
• Commercial and Business Litigation Representation in breach of contract, disputed debts, breach of sales agreements, and other general business actions.
• Directors & Officers Liability Defense Representation for Directors and Officers of small and nonprofit entities including Condominium and Co-Operative Boards and Managing Agents.
• Labor and Employment Defense Insurance defense practice representation for companies and employees in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies for all types of employment claims.
• Premises Liability Defense Representation for landlords, hotel owners, management companies, retailers, and commercial clients in slip, trip and falls, negligent security, and property damage cases.
• Products Liability Defense Defense of products liability matters on behalf of businesses including manufacturers and distributors, including complex technical products.
• Workers' Compensation Defense Defense of Workers' Compensation claims through designated insurance or directly on behalf of employers, including strategies for reduction of claim exposure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years of combined attorney experience representing insurance companies and corporate clients
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Your House Counsel®coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShafer Partners is a founding member firm of Your House Counsel®, The National Consortium of Highly Regarded Insurance and Corporate Liability Defense Law Firms. The organization performs extensive due diligence in selecting member firms, requiring excellent reputations, deep experience, AV rating in Martindale-Hubbell or comparable recognition, sound firm history with steady growth, and reasonable fee structures. As a national organization, Your House Counsel aims to have member firms in every major market in the United States. Shafer Partners is the Downstate New York and New Jersey member firm.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rivkin Radler LLP: Long Island/New York-based insurance defense and coverage firm serving carriers, TPAs, and self-insureds across general liability, professional liability, and commercial litigation. Directly mirrors Shafer Partners' AV-rated, niche-focused insurance defense practice in the same Northeast geography.
• Hurwitz Fine PC: Buffalo, NY-based AV-rated insurance defense and coverage firm serving carriers and self-insureds across general liability, professional liability, and commercial litigation. Comparable niche-focused defense firm, with a regional rather than NY Metro footprint.
• Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP: New York/New Jersey mid-sized firm with a leading practice in insurance defense, professional liability, and commercial litigation for carriers and self-insureds. Closely comparable in size, geography, and insurance-side practice focus to Shafer Partners.
• Norris McLaughlin P.A. New Jersey-headquartered mid-sized firm with a substantial insurance defense, employment, and commercial litigation practice. Comparable peer because it matches Shafer's regional NJ base, carrier-side defense work, and AV-tier mid-size structure.
• Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor: New Jersey-headquartered mid-sized firm with insurance defense, employment, and commercial litigation practices serving public and private clients. Comparable on regional NJ base, defense-side work, and AV-style mid-market positioning.

Emerging players

• Mullen Coughlin LLC: Boutique insurance coverage and cyber/data breach response firm serving carriers and policyholders. Adjacent peer - not a direct GL/transportation defense firm, but shares the insurance-side, AV-rated, niche-boutique positioning that increasingly characterizes successful defense practice groups like Shafer Partners.

Broad incumbents

• Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP: National full-service defense firm with a leading insurance and commercial litigation practice covering NY/NJ and beyond. Comparable on the carrier-defense value proposition and practice areas, but with much broader geographic and capability coverage.
• Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: Among the largest U.S. insurance defense firms, with offices nationwide including NY and NJ and a heavy carrier-side practice. Direct functional overlap with Shafer Partners in the same practice areas, but operates at national scale.
• Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: Large East Coast insurance defense firm with deep carrier-side practice across 10+ states including NY and NJ. Comparable at the practice-area level (GL, professional, transportation, construction) but materially larger and broader in geography than Shafer Partners.
• Goldberg Segalla LLP: National litigation boutique with a sizable insurance coverage and defense practice, including NY/NJ offices. Directly comparable on insurance coverage disputes and carrier-side defense, but operates across more jurisdictions and practice areas than Shafer Partners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaferpartners

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shafer Partners