The partners, attorneys and business services professionals of Skadden are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Isaac “Ike” Shapiro, our esteemed colleague and friend.
Mr. Shapiro joined the firm as partner in 1986 to help spearhead Skadden’s international expansion. From the opening of our first office outside the United States in Tokyo in 1987 to our first European office in London in 1988, he played a pivotal role in our expansion across Asia and Europe.
Mr. Shapiro’s unique upbringing prepared him for a career building cross-border connections. He was born and raised in Japan and, at age 14, became an interpreter for the U.S. Army and later for Marine Air Group 31. Shortly after, Mr. Shapiro moved to Hawaii, lived at the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and graduated from Punahou School. He then attended Columbia College but paused his studies after enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve. After serving for two years in Korea, Mr. Shapiro returned to Columbia, where he completed his undergraduate studies in 1954 and earned his law degree in 1956. He spent the following year as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Paris.
Before joining Skadden, Mr. Shapiro was instrumental in the international expansion of another major law firm, where he led its efforts to become the first U.S. firm with an office in Japan. At Skadden, he became the head of our international practice and played a central role in our development as a top international firm. From 1990 until becoming of counsel in 2001, Mr. Shapiro was a partner in our Paris office, focusing on privatization and international arbitration matters involving Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
He served as president of the Japan Society and was the founding president and trustee of The Noguchi Museum. In 2006, the emperor of Japan awarded Mr. Shapiro the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays With Neck Ribbon, for his service promoting U.S.-Japanese cultural relations. He taught Soviet and Russian law at Columbia Law School and New York University School of Law and published a memoir recounting his remarkable life.
Mr. Shapiro’s legacy is reflected in Skadden’s global reach and the many colleagues he inspired throughout his distinguished career. He will be deeply missed.