Expert Negotiator, Sports Agent, Attorney, Educator, New York Times Bestselling Author, and Civic Leader, Ron Shapiro attended Haverford College and graduated Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1967. After moving to Baltimore in 1967 for a federal clerkship, he began teaching law school in 1968. From 1972 to 1974 Mr. Shapiro served as Maryland State Securities Commissioner and earned a reputation as one of the most effective state investment officials in the nation. In 1972 he founded what is now known as Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler, a prominent Baltimore law firm. Subsequently, in 1976 Mr. Shapiro founded Shapiro, Robinson & Associates, a sports management firm that developed a national reputation through its holistic approach to contract negotiation, sound financial management, and commitment to community involvement on the part of its clients. In 1995 he founded Shapiro Negotiations Institute, a sales, negotiation, and influence training and consulting firm that has trained professionals in the art of negotiation, dealing with difficult personalities, and enhancing preparation and listening skills, and he continues his consulting and advisory work in negotiations through Shapiro Advisors LLC. In addition, he is the Founder and Creator of an annual business conference, the Butler Conference of Leaders, which brings together over 100 CEOs, and other business, professional and non-profit leaders to address economic, investment, philanthropic and social issues, and to network.
USA TODAY called Ron Shapiro "one of baseball's most respected agent-attorneys," and THE SPORTING NEWS named him one of the "100 most powerful people in sports." His impressive list of clients includes more Hall of Famers than any other agent, including Cal Ripken, Jr., Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Kirby Puckett, and Eddie Murray, and 2009 AL MVP, Joe Mauer, who have benefited from the more than one billion dollars in contracts that Mr. Shapiro has negotiated. In addition, Mr. Shapiro is the Special Advisor to the owner of the NFL Baltimore Ravens and to the General Managers of the NBA San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mr. Shapiro's book, THE POWER OF NICE: HOW TO NEGOTIATE SO EVERYONE WINS - ESPECIALLY YOU!, was excerpted in FORTUNE MAGAZINE and named one of the "Top Ten 'On the Job' Business Books of the Year" by the LIBRARY JOURNAL. His second book, BULLIES, TYRANTS & IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE: HOW TO BEAT THEM WITHOUT JOINING THEM, made the Wall Street Journal's Best Seller List. His third book, DARE TO PREPARE: HOW TO WIN BEFORE YOU BEGIN, made the New York Times, Business Week and the Wall Street Journal's Best Seller Lists, was named the winner in two categories in the National Best Books 2008 Awards by USA Book News, and was named Gold medal winner of the Success & Motivation category of the 2009 Axiom Business Book Awards. Mr. Shapiro's fourth book, PERFECTING YOUR PITCH: HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS AND IN LIFE BY FINDING WORDS THAT WORK was released in November, 2013.
Mr. Shapiro also authored more than 20 law journal articles, co-authored books on corporate and securities law, founded Maryland's major bar review course, and began a legal publishing company. He taught at the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland School of Law, the University of Baltimore School of Law where he was honored for teaching excellence, spoke in the Harvard Law School Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series where he was honored for his "multifaceted and fascinating career" and was named the 1996 Edward B. Shils Lecturer in Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. A charismatic and creative individual, Ron Shapiro appeared as a negotiations expert on ABC's "Good Morning America," CNBC's "Power Lunch," Mutual Radio's "The Larry King Show," National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," and "Talk of the Nation," ABC's "Nightline," and ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning," and "Up Close." Mr. Shapiro hosted a weekly talk show, "Front Page," and "Special Edition," a series of prime time specials, both on NBC Baltimore affiliates. In addition, he also appeared as a panelist on "Square Off" on CBS's Baltimore affiliate.
Committed to public and civic matters, Mr. Shapiro has chaired over 25 boards of charitable and community organizations, including PeacePlayers International, the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, the Baltimore Jewish Community Relations Council, St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Partnership for Homecoming Campaign, the University of Maryland Cancer Center Advisory Board, and the Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust, as well as serving on numerous others. He was also Treasurer and Finance Chairman for former Baltimore Mayor, Kurt Schmoke.
Mr. Shapiro has received numerous special honors and recognition including, among others: the Chimes Hall of Fame for contributions and community service; the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame Mel Allen Service Award for distinguished public service; the Cheltenham High School Hall of Fame in recognition of outstanding personal and career achievements; The Forman Award, as a superior Haverford College Athlete who has devoted himself to the betterment of society; Maryland Marketing Statesman of the Year; the City of Baltimore Citizen Citation for assistance and special contributions to the public schools and the citizens of Baltimore; the Children's Guild Award for "Making the Impossible - Possible"; and the American Law & Jurisprudence Award in recognition of his many years of outstanding leadership and excellence in the practice of law awarded by Chabad at Johns Hopkins. The Ronald M. Shapiro Research Award and Lecture was established in recognition of Mr. Shapiro's service at the Greenebaum Cancer Center of the University of Maryland and Stevenson University awarded Mr. Shapiro the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. SmartCEO Magazine recognized Mr. Shapiro as one of the "Twenty Most Admired Leaders" in May 2006. He has also been named "one of Maryland's Super Lawyers," has been featured in The Best Lawyers in America for 18 consecutive years, is a recipient of "The Daily Record's 2010 Leadership in Law Award", and was named "Sports Law Lawyer of the Year" in the 2012 edition of Baltimore's Best Lawyers®.
In 2013, Mr. Shapiro was the recipient of The American Red Cross Lifetime Achievement Award which recognizes an individual whose philanthropic contributions, whether they be time, talent, or treasure, span a lifetime; inducted into the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame, which celebrates Jewish Baltimoreans who have made a difference in the field of medicine, science, politics, law, education, business, community service, arts and entertainment, and beyond; and named as a member of "The Champions: Pioneers and Innovators in Sports Business" by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, which recognizes his distinct and sustainable impact on the sports industry, his record of achievement, and for being a mentor and leader to so many throughout the world.
Mr. Shapiro's dispute resolution techniques have settled a major symphony orchestra strike, facilitated solutions to human relations problems, and resolved disputes in governmental, corporate, and major biotechnology challenges. Mr. Shapiro has negotiated on behalf of, or served as deal coach to, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, as well as entertainment and news personalities. Ron Shapiro is frequently cited by parties representing each side in a negotiation as the ultimate "Win-Win" negotiator.
To find out more about Ron Shapiro (and/or the Shapiro Negotiations Institute), please go to www.shapironegotiations.com
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