Stephen Shapiro

PHONE: 720.488.0220
EMAIL: sbs@bsblawyers.com

Stephen Shapiro is a partner with the firm.

Mr. Shapiro’s practice is concentrated in commercial litigation, primarily with respect to the representation of construction contractors, developers, policyholders, financial institutions, commercial landlords, and private and public business enterprises.

The nature of his construction practice is broad based.  His experience includes claims arising from new construction of infrastructure and improvements.  A significant portion of Mr. Shapiro’s practice involves the pursuit and recovery of insurance benefits on behalf of policyholders, including construction-defect liability claims, builder’s risk claims, professional liability claims, property and casualty claims, E&O and D&O claims, surety bond claims, and title insurance claims.  Mr. Shapiro succeeded in expanding the rights of policyholders in insurance bad faith litigation in Colorado, by convincing the Colorado Supreme Court to interpret the Colorado Consumer Protection Act to apply to the insurance industry and to bad faith claim-handling practices.

Mr. Shapiro has litigated cases at the trial and appellate levels throughout the state court system and in the federal courts.  His litigation practice entails both bench and jury trials, administrative proceedings, arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, and appellate advocacy.  He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell.

Steve’s representative clients include:

• Construction contractors
• Design professionals
• Developers
• HOA’s and other property owners
• Financial institutions

Handling complex cases, his work has included:

• Showpiece Homes Corporation v. Assurance Company of America, 38 P.3d 47 (Colo. 2001) was a case of first impression in Colorado.  Prior to Showpiece, there had been a split at the trial court level in both the state and federal courts in Colorado regarding the applicability of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act to unfair claims settlement practices by insurers.  The Colorado Supreme Court resolved the conflict by determining that the Colorado Consumer Protection Act applies to insurers.
• Ovation Plumbing, Inc. v. Daryl D. Furton, 33 P.3d 1221 (Colo. App. 2001) – Colorado appellate court recognized for the first time the tort of unfair business competition.  The Ovation court also affirmed the largest jury verdict that had been rendered in the El Paso County District Court in 1999.

In his role as insurance coverage counsel for policyholders, Mr. Shapiro has secured many millions of dollars in insurance benefits to resolve third party and first party coverage claims.  The third party claims arise from various contexts, including construction defects, professional liability, E&O, and D&O claims.  The first party coverage claims have arisen from property and casualty policies, builder’s risk policies, title insurance, and surety bonds.

Mr. Shapiro is active in professional and educational organizations.  He serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Northern Colorado Foundation.

Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication in the legal field, named Mr. Shapiro to its 2013 list of The Best Lawyers in America® for his practice in insurance law. Best Lawyers uses a rigorous process of confidential surveys to establish its acclaimed list of reliable and unbiased legal referrals.

Mr. Shapiro was named a Colorado Super Lawyer in 2010 for his practice in insurance coverage, and again in 2011, 2012 and 2013 for his insurance recovery practice.  Super Lawyers is a publication of Thomson Reuters.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Shapiro served as a law clerk to the Honorable Dale P. Tursi of the Colorado Courts of Appeals.  Mr. Shapiro is a cum laude graduate of the Creighton University Law School.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Northern Colorado.