Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP

What Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP does

Shapiro Arato Bach LLP is a New York City-based litigation boutique that represents individuals and entities in white collar criminal defense, complex civil litigation (with emphasis on media and entertainment, intellectual property, employment, and financial and commercial disputes), and appellate advocacy before federal and state courts including the U.S. Supreme Court. Founded in 2009 by Alexandra Shapiro (the firm was originally known as Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP and rebranded to add Jonathan Bach to the name in 2013), the firm is structured as a limited liability partnership with no external private equity or venture capital ownership; the named partners (Alexandra Shapiro, Cynthia Arato, Jonathan Bach) hold equity and leadership positions, supported by additional partners (Fabien Thayamballi, Julian Brod) and counsel (Alice Buttrick). Marc Isserles, an original co-founder, departed in January 2015 to join the JAMS panel for full-time mediation.

The firm is a professional services business with no proprietary technology products, no software platform, and no AI/ML capabilities — its offering is human legal expertise delivered through billable engagements. Revenue is generated through traditional hourly and matter-based billing across multi-year engagements, with case mix heavily weighted toward high-stakes, high-visibility matters (e.g., the Sean Combs federal criminal defense, the Thom Browne v. Adidas trademark appeal, the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni litigation, and multiple Second Circuit reversals of conviction). The firm operates from a single office at 1140 Avenue of the Americas and serves clients across the Northeast U.S. and in federal courts nationwide.

Name

Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP

Legal name

Shapiro Arato Bach LLP

Website

https://shapiroarato.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shapiro Arato Bach LLP is a premier New York litigation boutique founded in 2009, representing individuals and entities in white collar criminal defense, complex civil disputes, and appellate matters, including Supreme Court advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• White collar defense
• Complex civil litigation
• Appellate litigation
• Media entertainment law
• Criminal defense services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: The firm generates revenue through billable hours for legal representation across criminal defense (predominantly white collar), complex civil litigation (media and entertainment, intellectual property, employment, financial and commercial disputes), and appellate matters in federal and state courts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP is a New York City-based litigation boutique law firm representing corporations and individuals in white collar criminal defense, complex civil litigation, appellate litigation, and media and entertainment disputes. The firm handles high-stakes matters including federal criminal appeals, commercial disputes, and defamation cases for notable corporate and individual clients. The firm operates with a partner-driven model where matters are staffed and supervised directly by named partners.

Product overview

Shapiro Arato Bach is a premier litigation boutique offering a unified suite of high-stakes legal services rather than a product platform. The firm operates as a single integrated legal practice providing white collar crime defense, complex civil litigation, appellate advocacy, and media and entertainment litigation. These practice areas work together to serve clients facing existential threats to their reputations, businesses, and livelihoods across federal and state courts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• White Collar Criminal Defense
• Complex Civil Litigation
• Appellate Litigation
• Media and Entertainment Litigation

Quantifiable outcome

• Won Second Circuit precedent-setting decision for Thom Browne against Adidas on trademark infringement appeal
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Susman Godfrey LLP: Houston/NY-based premier litigation boutique known for bet-the-company civil and criminal trial work, similarly serving clients in high-stakes commercial, IP, and white-collar matters with a reputation-driven, partner-led model.
• Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP: West Coast-based litigation and transactional boutique that handles high-stakes civil, appellate, and white-collar matters; comparable for its small, partner-led model focused on precedent-setting cases.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP: The largest litigation-only firm globally; competes head-to-head for complex commercial, appellate, and white-collar defense mandates and shares the reputation-led, partner-authored model.
• Seeger Weiss LLP: Complex litigation boutique with deep appellate and mass-tort capabilities; competes for institutional clients in IP, financial disputes, and high-stakes civil litigation.
• Boies Schiller Flexner LLP: Elite litigation and antitrust boutique with offices in major U.S. markets and a roster of high-profile trial and white-collar matters (e.g., binary options, major bankruptcies), directly comparable in scale and case mix to Shapiro Arato Bach.
• Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP: New York-based litigation boutique founded by leading trial lawyers; competes in complex commercial, white-collar, and real estate-related disputes with a similar partner-driven, high-end billing model.

Broad incumbents

• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP: Major global firm with one of the most active white-collar and appellate practices; competes for high-stakes criminal defense and complex civil litigation mandates at the top of the market.
• Ropes & Gray LLP: Full-service firm with a strong litigation, IP, and appellate practice; competes for media, entertainment, and complex civil disputes and is a frequent destination for sophisticated corporate clients.
• Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz: Elite New York full-service firm renowned for high-stakes litigation and M&A; adjacent rather than directly overlapping because it operates as a broad incumbent with deeper corporate bench, but competes for the same premium litigation clients.
• Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP: Premier New York full-service firm with a top-tier litigation practice that targets white-collar defense and appellate matters, competing for sophisticated institutional and individual clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/alexandrashapiro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP