Clifford J. Shapiro is a partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP and chair of the Construction Law Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in construction law and litigation, insurance coverage litigation on behalf of policyholders and other complex commercial litigation.
Mr. Shapiro has been selected to join the prestigious, invitation-only American College of Construction Lawyers and was inducted as a Fellow at the College's annual meeting in February 2012. The College's selection places Mr. Shapiro among the top one percent of all construction lawyers in the United States. He is ranked as a "Band 1" top construction attorney in Chambers USA's 2011 directory, and he was also selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America®, Who's Who Legal - Illinois, Who's Who of Construction Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and the Illinois Super Lawyers list in the area of construction law/litigation. In addition, Mr. Shapiro is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a by-invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of all American lawyers.
Mr. Shapiro represents private and public owners, contractors and subcontractors in a variety of construction related matters. Mr. Shapiro and his team handle disputed claims (including construction and/or design defect, delay and/or acceleration, and indoor air quality/mold claims) in mediation, arbitration and litigation proceedings. He has worked on cases involving airport runway expansion, oil refinery improvements, office buildings, high rise residential buildings, retail structures, university housing, parking structures, warehouses, residential conversion projects and multi-building condominium developments. Mr. Shapiro and his team also negotiate and draft construction contracts and other construction project documents. In addition, Mr. Shapiro negotiates and litigates insurance coverage claims on behalf of construction industry and other policyholder clients.
Mr. Shapiro speaks regularly throughout the United States about construction litigation and insurance coverage issues, he is the author of many articles and chapters in books that address construction and related insurance issues, and his articles have been cited and quoted in several state supreme court decisions. He is an active member of the ABA's Forum on the Construction Industry, the ABA's Construction Litigation Committee, the ABA's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, and the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys (where he is an officer and a member of the Steering Committee).
Mr. Shapiro received his B.A. magna cum laude from Washington University and his J.D. with high honors from George Washington University Law School, where he was a member of the law review and awarded Order of the Coif. Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, he was a partner and chair of the Construction Law Group at the Chicago law firm of Sachnoff & Weaver.
Publications
3/19/2012, Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Construction Law Update - March 2012
11/4/2011, Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Construction Law Update - November 2011
7/15/2011, Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Construction Law Update - July 2011
4/26/2011, Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Construction Law Update - April 2011
4/1/2011, "Construction Contract Indemnities, the 'Insured Contract,' and Additional Insured Coverage"
11/19/2010, Construction Law Update, November 2010
7/1/2010, Real Estate Litigation Practice Handbook - "Loan Commitment Litigation"
03/01/2010, Construction Law Update, March 2010
03/01/2010, Construction Law Update, March 2010
10/13/2009, Construction Law Update, Vol. 2, Issue 3
6/11/2009, "Representing the Private Owner, Including Financing the Project"
02/23/2009, Club Facilities and Amenities Series, Volume II
02/17/2009, Insurance Recovery Update, Winter 2009
02/02/2009, Construction Law Update, Vol. 2, Issue 1
1/15/2009, "Will There Ever Be Agreement? Understanding the 'Occurrence' Issue in the Context of Construction Defect Claims"
06/01/2008, Illinois Real Estate Journal - Builders Risk Insurance: Be Aware of the Faulty Workmanship Exclusion
12/13/2007, IICLE Real Estate Litigation 2008 Handbook
04/01/2007, Clifford Shapiro Writes Article on Insurance for Construction Defect Claims
3/2/2007, "The 'Occurrence' Issues Evolves But Remains Unresolved"
4/24/2006, "Selected Issues Regarding The Business Rick Exclusions In The Construction Context"
07/01/2005, Clifford Shapiro Pens Article on Inadvertent Construction Defects
01/01/2005, Clifford Shapiro Pens Article for Coverage
02/01/2004, Clifford Shapiro Writes Article for Construction Industry Web Site
05/01/2003, Clifford Shapiro Writes Chapter for Construction Law Update
01/01/2003, Clifford Shapiro Pens Article for Construct!
11/01/2002, Clifford Shapiro Pens Article on Inadvertent Construction Defects
07/01/2002, Clifford Shapiro Writes Article on The Illinois Eljer Decisions
04/01/2002, Clifford Shapiro Article Featured in Construction Lawyer
02/01/2002, Clifford Shapiro Pens Chapter for Real Estate Handbook
03/01/2000, Journal of Insurance Coverage - It Was an Accident: Inadvertent Construction Defects...
Events
10/23/2008, Attorney Presentation - Are Your Construction Defects Covered?
09/13/2008, Attorney Presentation - Insurance Coverage for Additional Insureds
06/23/2008, Clifford Shapiro Co-Chairs Conference Concerning the Rise of Wrap Programs
06/23/2008, Mealey's Wrap Insurance Conference
05/22/2008, Shapiro, Falkof, and Lutkus Travel to Mexico to Present American Law Seminar
05/20/2008, Clif Shapiro Participates in Panel Discussion on "Critical Contract Terms and Issues"
03/18/2008, Clifford Shapiro gives SOICA presentation on Construction Defect Insurace Coverage
11/18/2007, Construction Defect Litigation and Insurance-Related Issues
11/08/2007, Clifford Shapiro Co-Chairs ABA Forum on the Construction Industry's "Sticks and Bricks" program
11/08/2007, Sticks & Bricks: Learn The Construction Process From the Experts
10/18/2007, Attorney Presentation - Thilman Filippini/HRH Education Forum
10/18/2007, Recent Legal Developments In Insurance Coverage For Construction Projects
09/20/2007, Clif Shapiro to Speak at Construction Insurance Symposium
09/20/2007, Construction Insurance Symposium & Trial Tactics Seminar
08/12/2007, Clif Shapiro Chairs ABA Program on Warranty, Insurance and Indemnity Issues.
08/12/2007, Clifford Shapiro Chairs Insurance, Construction Program
04/12/2007, Clifford Shapiro Co-chairs Insured Conference in Chicago
03/01/2007, Clifford Shapiro Presents on Insurance Coverage Litigation
07/13/2006, Clifford Shapiro Presents on Insurance Coverage for Additional Insured
02/21/2006, Clifford Shapiro Presents on Insurance Coverage for Construction Defects
10/17/2005, Clifford Shapiro Participates In Panel Presentation on Business Risk Exclusions
04/07/2005, Clifford Shapiro Makes Faculty Presentation on Business Risk In Construction Coverage
01/17/2005, Coverage for Construction Defects Under The CGL Policy
11/11/2004, Clifford Shapiro Discusses Commercial General Liability (CGL) Coverage Issues
10/05/2004, Additional Insured Issues
07/15/2004, Clifford Shapiro Presents on Resolving Construction Defect Claims
05/25/2004, Clifford Shapiro Speaks About Construction Industry Disputes
04/13/2004, Clifford Shapiro Speaks At S&W Construction Law Group - Breakfast Seminar
11/17/2003, Construction Defect Trends and Developments
10/27/2003, Clifford Shapiro Participates in Panel Discusson on Construction Defects
03/08/2003, Clifford Shapiro Participates in Panel Discussion on Coverage for Mold Claims
02/18/2003, Clifford Shapiro Presents on Claim Trends at the Practicing Law Institute
01/21/2003, Insurance Coverage for Construction Defects
04/01/2002, Clifford Shapiro Presents at ABA Forum
03/01/2002, Clifford Shapiro Joins Panel Discussion on Emerging Coverage Issues
03/01/2001, Clifford Shapiro Presents at ABA Mid-Year Meeting
03/01/2000, Emerging Issues in Construction Coverage Litigation
08/01/1999, Clifford Shapiro Presents to the Home Builders Association of Chicago