Dickstein Shapiro LLP (formerly Dickstein, Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky) was a large U.S. law firm and

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

group based in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, with five offices across the United States. According to the National Law Journal's 2012 rankings, it was the 128th largest law firm in the United States. The firm also ranked 75th in profit per attorney on the 2012 AmLaw 200 survey.

Practice areas

The firm was divided into six practice groups, each of which handle various aspects of their respective specialties: Complex Dispute resolution,

Corporate A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

& Finance, Government Law & Strategy (includes

, political law,

regulatory law Regulatory law refers to secondary legislation, including regulations, promulgated by an executive branch agency under a delegation from a legislature. It contrasts with statutory law promulgated by the legislative branch, and common law or case l ...

and

government contract Government procurement or public procurement is the procurement of goods, services and works on behalf of a public authority, such as a government agency. Amounting to 12 percent of global GDP in 2018, government procurement accounts for a subst ...

s), Insurance coverage,

Intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

, and Litigation. Pro Bono Dickstein Shapiro was recognized by the DC Bar for its leadership in pro bono representation. It was one of the law firms representing the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

History

Dickstein Shapiro was founded by Sidney Dickstein and David I. Shapiro in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

in 1953. By 1956, the firm moved its headquarters to Washington, DC. The firm quickly established its reputation by winning several high-profile cases, including '' Silver v. New York Stock Exchange'' before the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. Over the following decades, the firm grew organically and through lateral hiring. In 2001, Dickstein Shapiro merged with Roberts, Sheridan & Kotel, a New York boutique firm that had spun off from Cravath, Swaine & Moore and which was primarily focused on corporate finance and tax law. In 2012, the firm entered into merger discussions with San Francisco-based international firm Pillsbury Winthrop, but those talks ended by early 2013. Dickstein Shapiro hired former Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert as a lobbyist shortly after he resigned his seat in Congress. Hastert was later indicted in May 2015 on charges of illegally withdrawing money from banks to pay hush money to an individual that he committed misconduct against years ago. Hastert resigned his lobbyist position the day the indictment was unsealed. Hastert's biography was quickly removed from the firm's website, and the firm also purged all mentions of Hastert from its previously posted press releases. Hastert's resignation from Dickstein Shapiro following the indictment against him left the law firm and lobbying firm "reeling," according to news reports. The firm's lobbying business had already been struggling; it was reported that the firm had billed $130,000 on behalf of eight clients for the first quarter of 2015, "not close to being on track for its overall 2014 billings, when it brought in $3.7 million for the year." In the few years preceding the indictment, Dickstein Shapiro had already "faced an exodus of ... talent" to rival firms

Greenberg Traurig Greenberg Traurig is a multinational law firm founded in Miami in 1967. As of 2022, the Greenberg Traurig is the 9th largest law firm in the United States. The firm has 43 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and ...

and Cozen O'Connor, as well as "the loss of major client contracts" including Lorillard Tobacco Co., Peabody Energy Corp., Bayer Corp., and Covanta Energy Corp. Following the Hastert indictment, it was reported that Dickstein Shapiro's biggest domestic client, Fuels America, terminated its lobbying contract with the firm. In February 2016, it was announced that the firm would discontinue operation and that Blank Rome would hire approximately 100 of its lawyers. Equity partners are expected to lose all of their firm capital.

Offices

(main office) *

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

* Stamford, Connecticut

Notable lawyers and employees

* Seymour Glanzer, former

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...

prosecutor, is now senior counsel to the firm. * Pete Hoekstra, former U.S. Representative for Michigan's 2nd congressional district, currently a senior adviser to the government relations group. *

Tim Hutchinson Young Timothy Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949) is an American Republican politician, lobbyist, and former United States senator from the state of Arkansas. Personal life Hutchinson was born in Bentonville in northwestern Arkansas, the son o ...

, former U.S. Senator from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, currently senior advisor to the firm's Public Policy & Law practice.
Scott E. Thomas
former Commissioner of the

Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...

Joseph Tydings Joseph Davies Tydings (né Cheesborough; May 4, 1928 – October 8, 2018) was an American lawyer and politician. He was most notable for his service as a Democratic member of the United States Senate representing Maryland from 1965 to 1971. Bo ...

, former U.S. Senator from

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, currently of counsel to the firm. *

Albert Wynn Albert Russell Wynn (born September 10, 1951) is an American lobbyist and former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 4th district of Maryland from 1993 to 2008. On February 13, 2008, ...

, former U.S. Representative for

Maryland's 4th congressional district Maryland's 4th congressional district comprises portions of Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County. The seat is represented by Anthony Brown, a Democrat. The district includes most of the majority-black precincts on the Maryland side o ...

, currently senior advisor to the firm's Public Policy & Law practice.

Notable alumni

Charles Colson Charles Wendell Colson (October 16, 1931 – April 21, 2012), generally referred to as Chuck Colson, was an American attorney and political advisor who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1970. Once known as P ...

Special Counsel In the United States, a special counsel (formerly called special prosecutor or independent counsel) is a lawyer appointed to investigate, and potentially prosecute, a particular case of suspected wrongdoing for which a conflict of interest exi ...

to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973, founder of

Prison Fellowship Prison Fellowship is the world's largest Christian nonprofit organization for prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for justice reform.Mark Oppenheimer ''New York Times'' (April 27, 2012). History Prison Fell ...

Templeton Prize The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, "whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest quest ...

winner and cultural commentator * Wendell H. Ford, former U.S. Senator from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, currently senior advisor to the firm's Public Policy & Law practice. * Joseph H. Gale, Judge on the

United States Tax Court The United States Tax Court (in case citations, T.C.) is a federal trial court of record established by Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, section 8 of which provides (in part) that the Congress has the power to "constitute Tr ...

, first openly gay man appointed to the Federal judiciary. * Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, former senior advisor to the firm's Public Policy & Law practice. Resigned following a federal indictment was filed against him. Charges include lying to the FBI about multiple money transfers to a past victim to hide past sexual misconduct. * James R. Jones, former U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma and a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. * Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former

Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States The chief of staff to the vice president of the United States is the Chief of staff (politics), chief of staff position within the Office of the Vice President of the United States, Office of the Vice President, part of the Executive Office of th ...

(for

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Dick Cheney). *

J. Bruce Llewellyn James Bruce Llewellyn (July 16, 1927 – April 7, 2010) was an American businessman. His personal wealth has been estimated to exceed $160 million. In 1963, he joined others to found 100 Black Men of America, a social and philanthropic organizatio ...

, prominent African-American business leader and co-founder of

100 Black Men of America 100 Black Men of America is a men's civic organization and service club whose stated goal is to educate and empower African-American children and teens. As of 2009 the organization has 110 chapters and more than 10,000 members in different citi ...

, an international civic and philanthropic organization * James F. McGovern, former

United States Under Secretary of the Air Force The Under Secretary of the Air Force (USECAF, or SAF/US), sometimes referred to as the Under Secretary of the Department of the Air Force, is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force of the United States of ...

(from 1986 to 1989) and former President of

Teledyne Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an American industrial conglomerate. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc., by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky. From August 1996 to November 1999, Teledyne existed as part of the conglomerate All ...

* Floyd McKissick Jr., North Carolina State Senator. * David I. Shapiro, American civil liberties attorney * Andrew Sherman, business author and transactional attorney *

Ira Lee Sorkin Ira Lee Sorkin (born May 30, 1943) is an American attorney. He is best known for representing Bernard Madoff, the American businessman who pleaded guilty to perpetrating the largest investor fraud ever committed by a single person. Education and ...

, American attorney best known for representing

Bernard Madoff Bernard Lawrence Madoff ( ; April 29, 1938April 14, 2021) was an American fraudster and financier who was the admitted mastermind of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion. He was at one time chairman of the NASDAQ ...

, the American businessman who has pleaded guilty to perpetrating the largest investor fraud ever committed by a single person.

Notable clients

Activision Blizzard Activision Blizzard, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in Santa Monica, California. It was founded in July 2008 through the merger of Activision, Inc. (the publicly traded parent company of Activision Publishing) and Viven ...

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...

* BB&T Corporation * Chrysler Group LLC *

Deephaven Capital Management Deephaven Capital Management, LLC was a subsidiary of Knight Capital Group that managed various hedge funds. The company was later shutdown due to poor performance blamed on prevailing macro-economic environment. History Deephaven Capital Managem ...

* Dole Food Company, Inc. * Duke Energy *

Fannie Mae The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), commonly known as Fannie Mae, is a United States government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) and, since 1968, a publicly traded company. Founded in 1938 during the Great Depression as part of the N ...

Fox Entertainment Group Fox Entertainment Group was an American entertainment company specialised in filmed entertainment owned by 21st Century Fox. Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the group's assets were folded into various Disney units. The ...

* John Hinckley Jr., attempted assassin * Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, the Hulk, the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...

, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and other iconic comic book characters *

Loews Corporation Loews Corporation is an American conglomerate headquartered in New York City. The company's majority-stake holdings include CNA Financial Corporation, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, Loews Hotels and Altium Packaging. ...

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

* Olympus Corporation *

PepsiCo Inc. PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manufa ...

* Pfizer Inc. *

Priceline.com Priceline.com is an online travel agency for finding discount rates for travel-related purchases such as airline tickets and hotel stays. The company facilitates the provision of travel services from its suppliers to its clients. Priceline.com ...

Sempra Energy Sempra is a North American energy infrastructure company based in San Diego, California. The company is one of the largest utility holding companies in the United States with roughly 40 million consumers. Sempra's focus is on electric and natura ...

* Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. * Under Armour, Inc. *

Yamaha Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate with a very wide range of products and services. It is one of the constituents of Nikkei 225 and is the world's largest musical instrument manufacturing company. The former motorcycle divi ...

References

External links

Homepage

Chambers USA profile

from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell {{authority control Defunct law firms of the United States Law firms established in 1953 Law firms based in Washington, D.C. Lobbying firms 1953 establishments in New York City 2016 disestablishments in Washington, D.C. Law firms disestablished in 2016