Gordon M. Shapiro
Practice Areas
Experience
- Antitrust
- Arbitration
- Banking Litigation
- Business Litigation
- Energy Litigation
- Financial Institution Litigation
- International
- Special Investigations
- Technology
Biography
Gordon M. Shapiro uses his more than 40 years of experience as lead counsel in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitration actions for our financial institution, pipeline, business, and real estate clients. Gordon has been recognized by The National Law Journal as the lead counsel handling a case called a “top defense win” nationally and is honored to have been recognized by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation since 2006 and in the Banking & Finance, Securities, and Environmental Litigation areas since 2012.
Gordon has significant experience representing banks in highâprofile cases, including high dollar disputes and class actions. Gordonâs depth of experience stretches back to the 1980s, when he coordinated the firm’s bank litigation practice during a time of great turmoil in Texas banking. Gordon and the firm successfully handled hundreds of cases for acquirers of assets from failed banks, or as a result of asset transfers, against defaulting borrowers and guarantors who alleged a wide variety of lender liabilityâtype defenses. Today, Gordon represents national, regional, and local financial institutions in class action defense, lender liability, defensive actions, operations, credit card litigation, letter of credit, contract disputes, and in the prosecution of collection matters.
Gordon is coâchair of the firm’s Special Investigations practice. He has been a lead special independent investigator multiple times on Sarbanes-Oxley investigations involving corporate and accounting issues, including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, revenue recognition, inventory and expense accounting, booking of reserves, revenue “management,” internal controls, “tone at the top” issues, and deferred revenue. Gordon has worked closely with chief legal officers and audit committees to scope and complete the investigations. A hallmark of his special investigations is close and regular communication with the client, client’s counsel, and their outside accounting firm. Gordon has produced voluminous detailed reports or summary presentations of findings, as required by the circumstances.
Education
B.A., with honors, University of Texas at Austin
J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Federal Claims
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
Bank Litigation
- As lead counsel, successfully represented his client, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in a putative class action case involving home equity loan modifications. The suit sought to invalidate “at least thousands” of class members’ home equity loans, on the alleged grounds that the modifications violated various provisions in the Texas Constitution. United States District Judge Sam Sparks dismissed the class action complaint and held that the home equity loan modifications did not violate the Texas Constitution. Hawkins v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 13-50086, 2015 WL 3505353, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 9442 (5th Cir. Tex. June 4, 2015)(unpublished)(affirming dismissal of putative class action challenging restructurings of home equity loans that allegedly capitalized past-due interest, fees, taxes, and escrow as violating the Texas Constitution, but remanding to district court as to one claim to determine if a single restructured loan with an alleged balloon payment involved an increase in the obligations created by the original note; dismissed by plaintiff on remand).
- Successfully represented his client, Chase Bank USA, N.A. in a putative class action seeking to establish a duty of good faith and fair dealing under Delaware law in connection with certain business credit card transactions. Plaintiff contended that the bank’s allocation of payments between a promotional offer balance and the credit card balance breached an implied duty in the account agreement. The action was dismissed for failure to state a claim in the district court. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the decision.
- Represented senior lender in litigation filed by multiple junior lenders and holders of mezzanine debt over a $7 billion collateralized mortgage backed obligation. Senior lenders were sued in multiple jurisdictions, including Texas, during an attempted restructure of the obligations with the borrower. Junior lenders sought to enjoin the restructuring agreement.
- Represented as lead counsel a national bank in a class action brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act for alleged violations of the Act that are claimed to have caused injury to a nationwide class of persons.
- Represented as lead counsel a national bank in temporary injunction hearing involving foreclosure on oil and gas assets and proceeds where temporary injunction denied. Later in bankruptcy court, successfully defended the bank in a defense of numerous lender liability claims asserted in a bankruptcy filed to avert foreclosure and obtained resolution during an adversary action before the court involving repayment to the bank of the subject loan.
Special Investigations
- An analysis of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act accounting and control issues for a global acquirer and manager of financial assets and portfolio pools. This engagement also involved review of the valuation calculations under GAAP for portfolio of acquired assets.
- An extensive investigation of a wide variety of accounting issues in a subsidiary of a major multinational international corporation.
- An investigation of certain GAAP accounting and control issues at a national telecommunications company.
- An investigation of accounting issues at an affiliate of a non-public industry standards corporation.
Other High-Profile Litigation
- Lead trial counsel in a breach of contract case for his clients, who purchased a 1961 Mark Rothko painting for $17.6 million that sold three years later at a Sothebyâs auction for $31.4 million. Plaintiff alleged that auctioning the Rothko violated the confidentiality provision in a one-page letter agreement which the parties agreed would âmake maximum effort to keep all aspects of this transaction confidential indefinitelyâ and sought $22-40 million in damages. After trying the case to a jury in Dallas federal court, complete victory was secured when Chief Judge Sidney Fitzwater signed a take-nothing amended judgment and assessed costs against the plaintiff. The judgment for our clients was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals which also vacated the district courtâs judgment of some damages against a co-defendant. Click for additional information.
- Served as lead trial counsel in an international business dispute, tried to a jury in United States District Court. In this case, Gordon represented a Japanese public company sued for $90 million by a Texas company for alleged fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and deceptive trade practices. The case arose from an athletic shoe distributorship agreement covering Japan. After a tenâweek trial, the jury returned a takeânothing verdict in favor of his client and the Court entered a takeânothing judgment. Gordon and the trial team received national recognition when the case was named a âTop Defense Winâ by the National Law Journal. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later affirmed the judgment.
- Lead trial counsel for the interstate pipeline defendant in multiple cases arising out of a gasoline pipeline spill. The spill was alleged to be one of the largest spills impacting land and surface water in the United States. The cases involved allegations of MtBE contamination in municipal water supplies and upon land. Suits were filed in state and federal court by the City of Dallas and by numerous private land owners. Multiple suits sought class action status. All but one of the cases were resolved by summary judgment in the pipelineâs favor or by settlement. Notably, two putative class actions filed under the Oil Pollution Act and a multi-plaintiff group case were dismissed by summary judgment in favor of the pipeline with costs awarded in the pipelineâs favor, an extremely rare and favorable result in such actions. The City of Dallas action was settled two weeks into a jury trial for an amount more than $10 million less than pretrial settlement demands. As an outgrowth of the spill, litigation was filed by Gordon and co-counsel against the pipe manufacturer, who later settled the case. The defendants requested confidentiality of the terms.
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 2006-2025
- Commercial Litigation, 2006-2025
- Litigation – Banking & Finance, 2011-2025
- Litigation – Environmental, 2011-2023
- Litigation – Securities, 2011-2025
- Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2008, 2010-2015
- Super Lawyer in Business Litigation, Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- “Best Lawyers in Dallas,” D Magazine, 2013
- “Black Swan Events of 1989 vs. 2020 â How Prepared Are Financial Institutions?,” Jackson Walker Fast Takes (April 29, 2020)
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Dallas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Dallas Inn of Court, Former Barrister
- Fee Disputes Committee for the Dallas Bar Association, Former Subcommittee Chair
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) Southern Deposition Program, Outside Faculty
- Expert witness training, Outside Faculty
August 15, 2024
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Features 306 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2025 Edition, Including 9 “Lawyers of the Year” and 75 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 306 Jackson Walker attorneys across 81 specialty practice areas in its 2025 edition, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 75 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (75 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (55 attorneys) and the addition of 27 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
August 17, 2023
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 287 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2024 Edition, Including 12 “Lawyers of the Year” and 80 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 287 Jackson Walker attorneys across 5 offices and 82 specialty practice areas in its 2024 edition, including 12 Lawyers of the Year and 80 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (66 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (60 attorneys) and the addition of 35 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
August 18, 2022
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 214 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2023 Edition, Including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” and 41 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 214 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 79 specialty practice areas in its 2023 edition, including 11 Lawyers of the Year and 41 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
August 19, 2021
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 178 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2022 Edition, Including 8 “Lawyers of the Year” and 31 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 178 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 67 specialty practice areas in its 2022 edition, including 8 Lawyers of the Year and 31 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
August 20, 2020
Attorney News
âThe Best Lawyers in Americaâ Honors 164 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2021 Edition, Including 9 âLawyers of the Yearâ and 25 “Ones to Watch”
Jackson Walker congratulates the 164 attorneys who were selected by their peers as Best Lawyers, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 25 Ones to Watch, across 6 offices and 66 specialty practice areas.
April 29, 2020
Podcasts
Black Swan Events of 1989 vs. 2020: How Prepared Are Financial Institutions?
Gordon Shapiro breaks down some of the events that happened then and how he and the Jackson Walker team holistically addressed the situation.
August 14, 2019
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 109 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2020 Edition, With Eight Named “Lawyers of the Year”
Jackson Walker congratulates our 109 attorneys named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers in America 2020 list, including eight attorneys who were named “Lawyers of the Year.”
August 16, 2018
Attorney News
Best Lawyers in America Recognizes 98 Jackson Walker Attorneys
Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas. For over three decades, recognition in Best Lawyers has been regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, since an attorney cannot pay to be listed.
August 15, 2017
Attorney News
Best Lawyers in America Recognizes 94 Jackson Walker Attorneys
The Best Lawyers in America, a widely regarded guide to legal excellence, has recognized 94 Jackson Walker attorneys in its 2018 edition. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
Bank Litigation
Practice chair. Represents national, regional, and local banks in class action defense, lender liability, defensive actions, operations, credit card litigation, letter of credit, contract disputes, and in the prosecution of collection matters.
Special Investigations
Practice co-chair. Lead special independent investigator in Sarbanes-Oxley investigations involving corporate and accounting issues, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, revenue recognition, inventory and expense accounting, booking of reserves, revenue âmanagement,â internal controls, âtone at the topâ issues, and deferred revenue.
Pipeline Litigation
Lead trial counsel for a major interstate pipeline company for over three decades in its major environmental disputes, easement, right-of-way, third-party hit, eminent domain, indemnity, subrogation, and contract litigation.
Business Disputes
Handled business disputes in healthcare, oil and gas, cable, robotics, art, and title insurance industries. Litigated issues involving international distributorships, securities, antitrust, indemnity disputes, purchase agreements, confidentiality agreements, post-closing disputes, contract, and business torts.
Local Lead Trial Counsel
Served as local counsel for out-of-state law firms looking to associate Texas trial counsel in business litigation.
Practice Experience
Bank Litigation
- As lead counsel, successfully represented his client, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in a putative class action case involving home equity loan modifications. The suit sought to invalidate “at least thousands” of class members’ home equity loans, on the alleged grounds that the modifications violated various provisions in the Texas Constitution. United States District Judge Sam Sparks dismissed the class action complaint and held that the home equity loan modifications did not violate the Texas Constitution. Hawkins v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 13-50086, 2015 WL 3505353, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 9442 (5th Cir. Tex. June 4, 2015)(unpublished)(affirming dismissal of putative class action challenging restructurings of home equity loans that allegedly capitalized past-due interest, fees, taxes, and escrow as violating the Texas Constitution, but remanding to district court as to one claim to determine if a single restructured loan with an alleged balloon payment involved an increase in the obligations created by the original note; dismissed by plaintiff on remand).
- Successfully represented his client, Chase Bank USA, N.A. in a putative class action seeking to establish a duty of good faith and fair dealing under Delaware law in connection with certain business credit card transactions. Plaintiff contended that the bank’s allocation of payments between a promotional offer balance and the credit card balance breached an implied duty in the account agreement. The action was dismissed for failure to state a claim in the district court. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the decision.
- Represented senior lender in litigation filed by multiple junior lenders and holders of mezzanine debt over a $7 billion collateralized mortgage backed obligation. Senior lenders were sued in multiple jurisdictions, including Texas, during an attempted restructure of the obligations with the borrower. Junior lenders sought to enjoin the restructuring agreement.
- Represented as lead counsel a national bank in a class action brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act for alleged violations of the Act that are claimed to have caused injury to a nationwide class of persons.
- Represented as lead counsel a national bank in temporary injunction hearing involving foreclosure on oil and gas assets and proceeds where temporary injunction denied. Later in bankruptcy court, successfully defended the bank in a defense of numerous lender liability claims asserted in a bankruptcy filed to avert foreclosure and obtained resolution during an adversary action before the court involving repayment to the bank of the subject loan.
Special Investigations
- An analysis of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act accounting and control issues for a global acquirer and manager of financial assets and portfolio pools. This engagement also involved review of the valuation calculations under GAAP for portfolio of acquired assets.
- An extensive investigation of a wide variety of accounting issues in a subsidiary of a major multinational international corporation.
- An investigation of certain GAAP accounting and control issues at a national telecommunications company.
- An investigation of accounting issues at an affiliate of a non-public industry standards corporation.
Other High-Profile Litigation
- Lead trial counsel in a breach of contract case for his clients, who purchased a 1961 Mark Rothko painting for $17.6 million that sold three years later at a Sothebyâs auction for $31.4 million. Plaintiff alleged that auctioning the Rothko violated the confidentiality provision in a one-page letter agreement which the parties agreed would âmake maximum effort to keep all aspects of this transaction confidential indefinitelyâ and sought $22-40 million in damages. After trying the case to a jury in Dallas federal court, complete victory was secured when Chief Judge Sidney Fitzwater signed a take-nothing amended judgment and assessed costs against the plaintiff. The judgment for our clients was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals which also vacated the district courtâs judgment of some damages against a co-defendant. Click for additional information.
- Served as lead trial counsel in an international business dispute, tried to a jury in United States District Court. In this case, Gordon represented a Japanese public company sued for $90 million by a Texas company for alleged fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and deceptive trade practices. The case arose from an athletic shoe distributorship agreement covering Japan. After a tenâweek trial, the jury returned a takeânothing verdict in favor of his client and the Court entered a takeânothing judgment. Gordon and the trial team received national recognition when the case was named a âTop Defense Winâ by the National Law Journal. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later affirmed the judgment.
- Lead trial counsel for the interstate pipeline defendant in multiple cases arising out of a gasoline pipeline spill. The spill was alleged to be one of the largest spills impacting land and surface water in the United States. The cases involved allegations of MtBE contamination in municipal water supplies and upon land. Suits were filed in state and federal court by the City of Dallas and by numerous private land owners. Multiple suits sought class action status. All but one of the cases were resolved by summary judgment in the pipelineâs favor or by settlement. Notably, two putative class actions filed under the Oil Pollution Act and a multi-plaintiff group case were dismissed by summary judgment in favor of the pipeline with costs awarded in the pipelineâs favor, an extremely rare and favorable result in such actions. The City of Dallas action was settled two weeks into a jury trial for an amount more than $10 million less than pretrial settlement demands. As an outgrowth of the spill, litigation was filed by Gordon and co-counsel against the pipe manufacturer, who later settled the case. The defendants requested confidentiality of the terms.
Recognition & Accolades
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 2006-2025
- Commercial Litigation, 2006-2025
- Litigation – Banking & Finance, 2011-2025
- Litigation – Environmental, 2011-2023
- Litigation – Securities, 2011-2025
- Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2008, 2010-2015
- Super Lawyer in Business Litigation, Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- “Best Lawyers in Dallas,” D Magazine, 2013
Publications & Speeches
- “Black Swan Events of 1989 vs. 2020 â How Prepared Are Financial Institutions?,” Jackson Walker Fast Takes (April 29, 2020)
Community Involvement
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Dallas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Dallas Inn of Court, Former Barrister
- Fee Disputes Committee for the Dallas Bar Association, Former Subcommittee Chair
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) Southern Deposition Program, Outside Faculty
- Expert witness training, Outside Faculty
Areas of Focus
Bank Litigation
Practice chair. Represents national, regional, and local banks in class action defense, lender liability, defensive actions, operations, credit card litigation, letter of credit, contract disputes, and in the prosecution of collection matters.
Special Investigations
Practice co-chair. Lead special independent investigator in Sarbanes-Oxley investigations involving corporate and accounting issues, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, revenue recognition, inventory and expense accounting, booking of reserves, revenue âmanagement,â internal controls, âtone at the topâ issues, and deferred revenue.
Pipeline Litigation
Lead trial counsel for a major interstate pipeline company for over three decades in its major environmental disputes, easement, right-of-way, third-party hit, eminent domain, indemnity, subrogation, and contract litigation.
Business Disputes
Handled business disputes in healthcare, oil and gas, cable, robotics, art, and title insurance industries. Litigated issues involving international distributorships, securities, antitrust, indemnity disputes, purchase agreements, confidentiality agreements, post-closing disputes, contract, and business torts.
Local Lead Trial Counsel
Served as local counsel for out-of-state law firms looking to associate Texas trial counsel in business litigation.