Deborah A. Shapiro
Deborah has more than 30 years of experience in employment law and an MBA from the University of Oxford. Before founding her firm in 2004, she practiced at New York law firms, advising clients on employment matters, litigating in federal and state courts and before administrative and arbitral tribunals, conducting investigations, and mediating.
Today, Deborah focuses exclusively on investigations and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She investigates workplace issues across a wide range of industries, arbitrates commercial and employment disputes, mediates conflicts, and teaches ADR at NYU School of Law.
Deborah has conducted investigations for multinational enterprises, publicly traded and privately held companies, municipalities, nonprofits, and unionized workforces. She is skilled at gathering information from reluctant sources, identifying root causes and perception gaps, and ensuring the process is fair, objective, and thorough.
Deborah has been deciding cases as an arbitrator and hearing officer for over 20 years. She currently arbitrates for the:
- American Arbitration Association (Commercial, Employment, Consumer Panels)
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
- CPR Dispute Resolution (Commercial Roster; Employment Disputes Panel)
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- Joint Committee on Fee Disputes and Conciliation
She previously arbitrated for the National Association of Securities Dealers, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Civil Court of the City of New York. For many years, she served as a hearing officer for New York City’s Office of Labor Relations and various municipalities under the New York State Civil Service Law and General Municipal Law.
Deborah has been mediating commercial and employment disputes for over 20 years. She currently mediates by private engagement and for the:
- American Arbitration Association
- CPR Dispute Resolution
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
She previously mediated for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 2015, she was appointed to the Mediator Advisory Committee for the Southern District of New York, and served an extended term.
Deborah is an adjunct professor at NYU School of Law, teaching ADR. She also taught negotiation at Fordham School of Law for 18 years and taught practicum courses in mediation and negotiation for 9 years.
Education
Cornell Law School
J.D., Bureau of National Affairs Award
University of Oxford, Saïd Business School, Balliol College
M.B.A., Dean’s List
Brandeis University
B.A., summa cum laude,
Phi Beta Kappa, American Studies Award
Bar Admissions
State of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Recognition
Super Lawyers- Employment and Labor, each year since 2017
Academic awards
Invited to speak on panels, at conferences, in higher education
Active in industry and alumni organizations