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, 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 firm that has trained professionals in the art of negotiation, dealing with difficult personalities, and enhancing preparation and listening skills. Currently, he is Chairman and Founder of Shapiro Advisors, a negotiation deal coaching and consulting company. In addition, he is the Founder and Creator of an annual business conference, the Butler Conference of Leaders, which brings together CEOs and other business, professional, and non-
profit leaders to address economic, cultural, scientific, philanthropic, and social issues.
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 collectively benefited from the more than one billion dollars in contracts that Mr. Shapiro has negotiated on their behalf. 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. A revised edition was released in February 2015. 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. He also 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,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 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, Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust, and the Baltimore City Firehouse Renovation Project. He was also Treasurer and Finance Chairman for former Baltimore Mayor, Kurt Schmoke. Mr. Shapiro has received numerous special honors and recognitions, including: 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 20 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 span a lifetime; was 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 was named as a member of “The Champions: Pioneers and Innovators in Sports Business” by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, which recognized his distinct and sustainable impact on the sports industry, his record of achievement, and his mentorship and leadership to so many throughout the world. In 2018, Mr. Shapiro was inducted into the Baltimore Sun’s Maryland Business and Civic Hall of Fame.
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, and entertainment and news personalities. Ron Shapiro is frequently cited by parties representing each side in a negotiation as the ultimate "WIN-Win" negotiator.
