Blustein, Shapiro, Frank & Barone, LLP is proud to announce that Partner Richard J. Shapiro has been selected as a member of the Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP) by the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). NAELA is a national organization comprised of attorneys whose practices include working with the legal problems of aging Americans and individuals with disabilities.
Shapiro is one of only twelve CAP members in the state of New York. He is also the only* Certified Elder Law Attorney* whose home office is based in Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess, or Ulster counties, one of only 36* CELAs in New York State, and one of fewer than 550* CELAs nationwide.
Membership in CAP is by invitation only and is designed to recognize those who are perceived to be innovators of the field and instrumental to the future of elder law. CAP membership is limited to those who are Certified Elder Law Attorneys, who have been members of NAELA for 10 years or more, and who hold a Martindale-Hubbell rating of AV, the highest peer rating standard for ethical and professional ability.
“We are unbelievably proud that Richard was selected to become a member of CAP,” said BSF&B Managing Partner Michael Blustein. “Such a small number of attorneys attain CAP membership; it is a testament to Richard’s sustained commitment to continuing his education, his contributions to the field, and his demonstrated leadership on issues affecting older adults and people with special needs.”
Mr. Shapiro is a graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where he was a member of the Ho-Nun-De-Kah College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Honor Society, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia, Penn. In addition to being a member of CAP and NAELA, he is also a member of WealthCounsel, ElderCounsel, and Elder Law Answers. He has received a 10.0 rating (out of a possible 10.0) from www.avvo.com, an independent company that provides objective ratings of attorneys throughout the United States.
Mr. Shapiro is the author of Secure Your Legacy: Estate Planning and Elder Law for Today’s American Family, published in 2017 by Archway Publishing, a division of Simon & Schuster. He has also authored, co-authored, or contributed to several books and articles related to estate planning, and has been quoted in the New York Times and on CNBC.com.
Mr. Shapiro has been named to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers list for six consecutive years for his work in the field of elder law.
Mr. Shapiro also develops and holds educational estate planning workshops throughout the year to educate clients and residents of the Hudson Valley alike, with special focus on legacy planning for the American family. Upcoming dates and times can be found at www.mid-hudsonlaw.com/events.
*As of 11.7.2019; the National Elder Law Foundation is not affiliated with any governmental authority. Certification is not a requirement for the practice of law in the State of New York and does not necessarily indicate greater competence than other attorneys experienced in this field of law.