Shapiro Arato has represented various defendants against copyright infringement claims over the song “Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2” by the artist Drake (and featuring Jay Z). The plaintiffs’ claims arose over a sample of “Jimmy Smith Rap,” a spoken-word recording by the late-jazz artist of the same name, that appears in “Pound Cake” … Read more
On May 26, 2017, Shapiro Arato filed a supplemental complaint against the FEC on behalf of Level the Playing Field (“LPF”), Peter Ackerman, the Green Party of the United States, and the Libertarian National Committee, Inc. Plaintiffs’ lawsuit challenges the FEC’s dismissal of two administrative complaints against the Commission on Presidential Debates (“CPD”), alleging that … Read more
Shapiro Arato partner Alexandra Shapiro and counsel Daniel O’Neill authored an article on the Supreme Court’s decision in Salman v. United States in the most recent issue of For The Defense, a publication of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The article, “Salman v. United States: The Supreme Court Leaves More Questions About Insider … Read more
On May 18, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in United States v. Skelos, No. 16-1618, held oral arguments in the appeal of former New York State Senator Dean Skelos and his son Adam, who were convicted in 2015 of federal corruption charges in the Southern District of New York. … Read more
Partner Cynthia Arato was recently named to the shortlist of nominees for the 2017 Euromoney Americas Women in Business Law Award in Media and Entertainment. This highly competitive award is given to outstanding women attorneys who are leaders in their respective practice areas. Nominees are evaluated based on their professional accomplishments and overall influence in … Read more
On April 13, 2017, the editorial board of The Charlotte Observer published an op-ed, which discusses the lawsuit filed by Shapiro Arato on behalf of Level the Playing Field, Peter Ackerman, the Green Party of the United States and the Libertarian National Committee to open up the presidential debates so that a candidate who is … Read more
On March 20, 2017, Alexandra Shapiro, who argued before the Supreme Court in Salman v. United States, participated in a presentation on the case for the Practicing Law Institute (“PLI”). Salman was the first insider trading case heard by the Court in nearly 20 years and resolved a split between the Second and Ninth Circuits … Read more
On March 8, 2017 the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted Shapiro Arato’s motion to file an amicus brief in Converse, Inc. v. International Trade Commission. Shapiro Arato filed the brief on behalf of Tiffany & Co., Christian Louboutin SAS, and the Fashion Law Institute. In 2014, Converse sued 31 companies … Read more
On Monday, February 27th Alexandra Shapiro appeared as a guest on the Independent Voter Network (“IVN”) podcast hosted by author T.J. O’Hara. Alexandra discussed the history of the Commission on Presidential Debates (“CPD”), the organization responsible for sponsoring the general election presidential and vice-presidential debates, and the lawsuit filed by Plaintiffs Level the Playing Field, … Read more
On Wednesday, February 2nd , United States District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan granted our motion for summary judgment on behalf of Plaintiffs Level the Playing Field, Peter Ackerman, the Green Party of the United States, and the Libertarian National Committee, Inc. in their lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”). Plaintiffs’ suit challenges the … Read more