Alexandra Shapiro

Practice Areas

Alexandra Shapiro is one of the nation’s leading appellate lawyers. Noted for successful results in high profile white collar matters, she has won appellate reversals in many criminal and civil cases. These victories include two Supreme Court decisions narrowing the scope of the federal fraud statutes, Ciminelli v. United States and Percoco v. United States, as well as multiple Second Circuit rulings granting judgments of acquittal and new trials. Alexandra argued Salman v. United States, the first insider trading case heard by the Supreme Court in 20 years.

Alexandra is also an experienced trial lawyer, who began her career over 30 years ago as one of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s first clerks on the Supreme Court. Her practice focuses on appeals, white collar defense, and complex civil litigation. She has successfully represented prominent Wall Street professionals, public officials, as well as major public and private companies.

She served as President of the New York Council of Defense Lawyers and received its Ostrow Award honoring her work in the defense of liberty and the preservation of individual rights.

Prior to co-founding Shapiro Arato Bach LLP in 2009, Alexandra was a partner of a leading international law firm, and before that, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where she also served as Deputy Chief Appellate Attorney. In addition, she served as an attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Alexandra wrote a novel about a wrongful white-collar prosecution, Presumed Guilty, which was published in 2022 and has received acclaim from Forbes, the New York Law Journal, and other publications.

Professional Memberships

Member, Lawyers’ Advisory Committee to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Selection of Members of Criminal Justice Act Panel.

Member, Pro Bono Panel, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

Member, American Law Institute.

Ranked in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, and shortlisted for Chambers USA 2021 and 2022 Awards for “White-Collar Lawyer of the Year.”

Recognized as one Lawdragon’s the top 500 Litigators in America in 2024.

Recipient, New York Council of Defense Lawyers Norman Ostrow Award for the defense of liberty and the preservation of individual rights, March 2019.

Recipient, Police Athletic League Robert M. Morgenthau Award for outstanding leaders in the legal field, April 2018.

President, New York Council of Defense Lawyers, 2014-2015; Vice President, January 2013-February 2014; Secretary/Treasurer, 2011-12;

Member, Board of Directors, 2006-08 and 2016-2017; Co-Chair of Amicus Committee, 2005-2010.

Recognized as one Lawdragon’s the top 500 Litigators in America in 2016 and 2017.

Recognized as an “Appellate MVP” by Law 360 in 2015.

Recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Appellate Law.

Listed in Guide to the World’s Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers and Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law.

Member, Criminal Justice Act Panel, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2001-2006 and 2013-2015.

Adjunct Professor, Columbia University School of Law (taught Federal Criminal Practice Seminar, 2001-05).

Winner, Burton Award for excellence in legal writing, June 2005.

Named one of Second Circuit’s 10 “Standout” Lawyers by National Law Journal, April 2001.

Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, June 1997.

Author of paper on “Ethics and Best Practices in Internal Investigations” for the Practicing Law Institute’s 29th Annual Institute on

Securities Regulation, and numerous articles on white-collar criminal law and securities fraud for legal publications including New York Law Journal, Federal Sentencing Reporter, Wall Street Lawyer, and White-Collar Crime Reporter.

Co-author of “Criminal Violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,” chapter in David M. Brodsky & Daniel J. Kramer, Federal Securities Litigation: Commentary and Forms.

Have spoken in a variety of forums on the Supreme Court and topics related to securities fraud, public corruption, corporate governance, criminal investigations, the federal sentencing guidelines and appellate advocacy.