When Marc Shapiro first launched his law firm, he took on a significant personal injury case involving a family of four. At the time, he knew he needed the assistance of one of the best local litigators.
“My inquiries led me to Michael R.N. McDonald. I insisted we work the case together. That was one of the most important professional decisions of my career. He mentored me through the process, assigned me meaningful work and taught me how to think through serious injury litigation from beginning to end.”
That experience helped shape the attorney he is today and the approach he brings to co-counsel relationships.
Thirty years later, Shapiro is still handling personal injury and wrongful death matters, especially those that have changed the course of a person’s life.
“Catastrophic injury cases require a different level of analysis,” he says. “Insurance companies often try to reduce cases to diagnosis codes, medical bills, and claim valuation software. Those tools may be part of the process, but they do not tell the full story. Two people can have similar diagnoses and very different life consequences. Our job is to make sure the full human impact is documented and presented.”
This client-first approach to his practice begins from the outset of each case – when considering which matters to take on and how to prepare the case, all the way through to negotiating medical bills and liens.
“My philosophy is to do what is in the best interest of the client,” he says. That may mean settlement, that may mean trial, that may mean non-binding arbitration. “That said, reputation still matters. Insurance companies and defense lawyers know which plaintiff’s lawyers are prepared to try a case and which are not. I believe every serious case should be prepared as though it may ultimately need to be tried. That preparation is what creates leverage and gives the client the best chance at a fair result.”
Looking back on his career the cases that have stood out aren’t necessarily the ones with the largest recoveries. “They are the cases where I know we made a meaningful difference.”
He recalls a young woman who was struck by a drunk driver while eating at an outside dining area. Beyond the legal case, the firm helped support the young woman’s mother who needed to take time off work to care for her daughter, but needed the health insurance from her job to pay for her medical care.
Another case involved a client who wanted to accept the first settlement out of hand. “I couldn’t understand why because I believed the case was worth more,” Shapiro says. He took time to learn the client’s reasoning and uncovered that due to his injuries he had become dependent on prescription pain medication.
Shapiro ultimately secured a recovery many times greater than the initial offer and got his client treatment. “That changed the trajectory of his life. I often think about what might have happened if he’d gone to a firm that didn’t take time to understand the real issue.”
Looking ahead, Shapiro wants the firm to grow in a way that preserves its values: preparation, integrity, compassion and doing what’s right for the client. And, in a full circle moment, he is now often referred cases due to his experience, trial capabilities and ability to handle the cost outlay that comes with complex injury cases.
“I have also had the opportunity to mentor younger attorneys the same way Michael mentored me. But, at the end of the day, what matters most to me is whether we made a difference in someone’s life. That is why I became a personal injury lawyer.”
The Law Offices
of Marc L. Shapiro P.A.
720 Goodlette-Frank Rd. N, Suite 304
Naples, FL 34102
239-428-0678
attorneyshapiro.com
