Sarahann Shapiro

Special Counsel
P: 408.286.5100

Biography

Sarahann Shapiro is special counsel to the firm and enjoys her practice in the areas of Commercial Real Estate, Business Law, and Employment. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biology and Political Science from the University of California at Riverside in 1988 and her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University in 1991. Ms. Shapiro is active in the local courts and bar association as an arbitrator and Settlement Conference Neutral by judicial appointment. She served as Chair of the Business Litigation Committee in 1997.

Ms. Shapiro is also an active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association of Silicon Valley (BOMA). She serves as chair of the Government Affairs Committee and teaches Law and Risk Management for those seeking their RPA or FMA designation. Ms. Shapiro received the BOMA Associate Member of the Year Award in 2009 and the BOMA President’s Award in 2014. In addition to her professional activities, Ms. Shapiro is active in her community as a Past Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of California, Order of the Eastern Star and a member of Daughters of the Nile supporting the Shriner’s Hospitals.

Honors and Recognitions

• Building Owners and Managers Association of Silicon Valley
  • Associate Member of the Year, 2009
  • President’s Award, 2014
• Past Grand Matron, Order of the Eastern Star, Grand Chapter of California
• Chairman - Business Litigation Executive Committee – 1997

Professional Associations and Activities

• Santa Clara County Bar Association - Fee Arbitration Panel Chair
• Santa Clara County Superior Court Settlement Conference Neutral by appointment
• Instructor - Building Owners and Managers Institute - Law and Risk Management for property managers and facilities managers seeking professional designation

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Pro Bono General Counsel and Chairman of Government Affairs, Building Owners and Managers Association of Silicon Valley
• Member - Commercial Real Estate Women
• Pro Bono General Counsel, Ballet San Jose/Silicon Valley
• Member - Daughters of the Nile, supporting Shriner’s Hospitals
• Member and Presenter - Congregation Beth Jacob

Published Works

“Accord and Satisfaction in California: A Trap for the Unwary,” Scott J. Burnham, 30 Santa Clara Law Review 473, (1990) - a review of the law of accord and satisfaction, including the dangers of full payment checks in California

“The Law of Arms in the United States, Reality v. Myth,” Proceedings of the International Congress of Heraldry and Genealogy, St. Andrew’s College, Scotland, 2006 - a review of the laws governing heraldic display in the United States, including the implications of US law and international law regarding trademark, copyright and other intellectual property laws, on the ability of U.S. citizens to register coats of arms

“The Templars and the Hospitallers: Fighting For God, Praying for War,” The Compleat Anachronist, Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., 2007 - a review of the history, traditions, and laws of the Knights Templar and the Hospitaller Order (later the Knights of Malta)

Speeches and Presentations

Professional Presentations:

Strategic Planning for Non-Profit Organizations

Minimizing Risk from Tenant Improvements for Property Owners and Managers

The Construction Process for Property Owners and Managers

Rights and Duties of Landlords for Bankrupt Tenants

Lease Provisions for Every Commercial Lease

Landlord/Tenant - Frequently Asked Questions

What Does That Lease Provision Mean?

The Selection of Real Estate for Your Investment Portfolio

Defaulting Tenants and What to Do With Them

Community Presentations:

The Jewish View of the Afterlife

Lessons on Treating People as “Other” from the Book of Ruth

Meaning for Modern Times from the First Five Chapters of Exodus

Modern Applications of Jeremiah Chapter 31