Mr. Shapiro has practiced law with the firm since 1984 and has been a partner since 1987. He formerly served as a Hearing Officer and Staff Counsel at the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission from 1981 to 1984. Like all of the firm’s attorneys, his practice concentrates in the representation of labor unions and their members.

A graduate of the Roxbury Latin School (1969), Harvard College (1973), University of Massachusetts, Boston (MA English 1977) and Emory University School of Law (1980), Mr. Shapiro has taught courses at The Labor Guild and participated in numerous seminars sponsored by the Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. He has argued cases before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Appeals Court, and First Circuit Court of Appeals.

When not practicing law, Mr. Shapiro avidly bicycles both long distances on weekends and to and from work, weather permitting. He also plays a fairly mean game of pool. He lives in Jamaica Plain with his wife, Marie Lee, Esq.

Amy Laura Davidson has been practicing labor law since 1980. Prior to entering private practice, Amy served as an administrative law judge for the Labor Relations Commission for eight years where she enjoyed the unique vantage point of an adjudicator. The lessons learned there continue to serve her well as an advocate. After leaving the Commission, Amy worked as in-house counsel to the National Association of Government Employees/International Brotherhood of Police Officers for a couple of years. Her journeys ultimately lead to Sandulli Grace in 1992. She became a partner in 1993.

Amy has been representing police officers, fire fighters, teachers and other employees since 1988. She works vigorously to get the best results for her clients through negotiation and litigation. She has represented clients in front of state and federal labor agencies, at arbitration, in contract negotiations, and in state and federal court. Amy has a keen interest in all issues surrounding the provision of health insurance, a crucial employee benefit. She has been challenging cutbacks in insurance on behalf of clients since 1990 and has prevailed in every case she litigated. She also has been engaged in countless negotiations concerning insurance benefits, on behalf of individual unions and in coalition bargaining.

Amy has served as co-chair of the Mass Bar Association’s Annual Workshop for Public Sector Labor Relations since 1998. She was a member of the MBA Labor Liaison Committee that was instrumental in the enactment of legislation in 2007 designed to improve the efficiency of the Department of Labor Relations and the JLMC. In 2008, Governor Patrick appointed Amy to the Department of Labor Relations Advisory Council, a tri-partite group that oversees the operation of the agency. She served as chair of the Council from 2010 to 2013. Amy has led educational seminars at the Professional Firefighters Biennial Convention, the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Annual Leadership Conference and MassCOP Educational Seminars. She also has lectured before annual meetings of the New England Consortium of Labor Relations Agencies.

In her spare time, Amy liked to run, spin and recently has taken up boxing. She completed ten marathons; four in Boston, four in New York, the Maine Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. She lives in Cambridge with her husband Gene and their three dogs.

A graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, Oberlin College, and Regis High School, John M. Becker has been of a member of the Massachusetts bar since 1994. Before joining Sandulli Grace in 1996, he served as law clerk to Justice Neil L. Lynch of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He is currently Of Counsel to the firm, where he continues to practice labor and employment law on behalf of unions and employees.

John serves individual and union clients in both the private and public sectors, but he has specialized in representing public employee unions, particularly unions representing teachers and police officers. He has helped clients negotiate collective bargaining agreements, arbitrate grievances, and pursue various matters in court and in numerous state agencies. He has also brought litigation to enforce employees’ rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act and other laws.

John has argued numerous cases in Massachusetts appellate and trial courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the Supreme Judicial Court and Massachusetts Appeals Court. Selected published decisions include: Benoit v. City of Boston, 477 Mass. 117 (2017) (workers’ compensation); Marshfield School Committee v. Marshfield Education Association, 84 Mass. App. Ct. 743 (2014) (arbitration appeal); Sheriff of Suffolk County v. Jail Officers and Employees of Suffolk County, 465 Mass. 584 (2013) (arbitration appeal); City of Lynn v. Lynn Police Association, 455 Mass. 590 (2010) (arbitration appeal); O’Hara v. Menino, 253 F. Supp. 2d 147 (D. Mass. 2003) (FLSA); Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers v. Abban, 434 Mass. 256 (2001) (civil service); and Vanderbilt v. Town of Chilmark, 174 F.R.D. 225 (D. Mass. 1997) (employment discrimination discovery).

Because John believes that providing his union clients with legal knowledge makes for a stronger labor movement, he has taught labor and employment law courses at the Boston Labor Guild and UMass Lowell’s Labor Extension program. He has spoken at the Legal Rights Seminar of the National Association of Police Organizations and the annual meeting of the New England Consortium of State Labor Relations Agencies and was formerly the employee-side commentator for the Massachusetts Civil Service Reporter. John has spoken at numerous Mass. Bar Association and Boston Bar Association conferences and seminars and was co-chair of the alternate dispute resolution subcommittee of the MBA’s Labor & Employment Section. He was a featured speaker at the LRIS Advanced Course in Police Discipline in Las Vegas, Nevada in November 2018 and MBA’s 2017 Labor & Employment Law Annual Conference. His article, “The Role of Public Policy in Judicial Review of Massachusetts Public Sector Labor Arbitration Awards” was published in the March 2019 issue of the Massachusetts Law Review.

John and his wife Mary Christin live in Waltham, Massachusetts. Mary, a licensed clinical social worker, is a geriatric care manager with LifeCare Advocates in Newton, MA. In addition to practicing law, John is a singer/songwriter who currently plays traditional music as part of the duo Downeast Revival. He is also the author of Make Lists, Not War, a blog featuring “Best of” lists about the arts, history, science and nature, and travel.

Jennifer Nicole Smith (‘Jenni’) joined Sandulli Grace in 2012. She attended the University of Rochester, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, and like many of her Sandulli Grace colleagues, Northeastern University School of Law. Jennifer admitted to practice in Massachusetts and is member of the Boston Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Steering Committee.

Jennifer has a lifelong passion for social justice, in particular labor and improving employees’ workplace dignity through collective action. Formerly, she was president of the United Staff Workers’ Union, and is an active supporter of Jobs with Justice. Her practice concentrates on representing unions and their members. She has extensive experience with collective bargaining, including coalition bargaining for health insurance, and bargaining “turnaround agreements” following 2010 Education Reform. In her practice, Jennifer has represented individuals and unions in court and before arbitrators, hearing officers, various government agencies, and retirement boards.

Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer was a Hearing Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations. Before the Department of Labor Relations, Jennifer worked in house for a large Massachusetts public sector SEIU local.

When she is not lawyering, Jennifer is an avid skier who enjoys reading, gardening, knitting, running, and canning. She currently lives with her husband in Charlestown, Massachusetts and is excited about sustainable urban agriculture and cooperative food working groups.

Daniel Fogarty joined Sandulli Grace in 2015. He graduated cum laude from George Washington University with a B.A. in Philosophy and then went on to receive his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. At Brooklyn Law School he was an active member of the Moot Court Honors Society and was chosen to represent the school at multiple prestigious Trial Advocacy competitions. He is licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and New York.

Prior to joining the firm, Dan worked as a Labor Relations Trial Examiner at the New York City Office of Collective Bargaining. As a Trial Examiner, Dan acted as a neutral decision maker in improper practice and representation cases between the City of New York and various municipal unions. He conducted pre-hearing conferences and hearings before drafting decisions for approval by the Board of Certification and the Board of Collective Bargaining. He also provided information to potential pro se petitioners regarding the NYC Collective Bargaining Law and OCB Rules. While in law school, Dan gained valuable experience working at a union-side law firm, Region 2 of the National Labor Relations Board, and the NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.

Dan currently lives in Boston. He spends most of his time outside the office with his fiancé, Allie. He enjoys running, talking baseball (especially the Red Sox), and watching a good movie. Through a series of road trips, and a few wrong turns, he has driven through 38 states, and he is looking forward to getting to the other 12.

Ian Collins joined Sandulli Grace in 2021. He received his law degree from Boston College Law School and has been admitted to practice in Massachusetts since 2020.

Prior to joining Sandulli Grace, Ian litigated a number of housing cases with Northeast Legal Aid. Before law school, Ian was an organizer and outreach coordinator with the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has always had a passion for social justice and worker’s rights, and enjoys continuing to contribute to the labor movement via his work at Sandulli Grace. 

When he is not working, Ian enjoys going to the gym, cooking, and exploring New England’s wonderful hikes and small towns.

Casey Berkowitz joined Sandulli Grace in 2021. She received her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in the state of Massachusetts.

During law school, Casey concentrated her studies in the field of Labor, Work & Income. She gained experience in labor & employment law through various co-op opportunities, including a judicial internship at the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and a law clerk position at a Boston based labor firm. She gained further practical experience through her work in the Immigrant Justice Clinic and participation in the Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition.

Casey graduated summa cum laude from UMass Lowell in 2018 with a B.A. in both English Literature and Psychology. She also obtained a minor in Legal Studies which solidified her interest in pursuing a legal career.

In her spare time, Casey enjoys reading and writing. She particularly enjoys spending time at coffee shops and libraries, though her favorite by far is the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.

Laurel Goldstein joined Sandulli Grace in 2022. She received her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law, a Master of Arts in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and linguistics from Reed College. She is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts.

Before joining Sandulli Grace, Laurel worked as a staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), providing civil legal aid to victims of crime. She represented clients in a variety of practice areas, including wage and hour, employment discrimination, divorce, abuse prevention orders, and immigration. Laurel was also vice president of the Attorneys’ Union at GBLS and a member of the bargaining committee. Before GBLS, Laurel was an attorney advisor at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Laurel researched and prepared memos recommending how the NLRB should resolve cases involving unfair labor practice charges and appeals from representation elections. She also drafted NLRB decisions.

Laurel currently lives in Ashland, MA. She enjoys sewing, gardening, and cats.

Paul Facklam is a highly experienced attorney who has focused his practice on the representation of a diverse array of public and private sector unions and their members. Raised in a strong union family, Attorney Facklam understands first-hand the real benefits and protections of a union contract.

The first in his family to attend college, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University at Albany – SUNY. He then went on to obtain his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law where he was able to work with the NLRB, the statewide local of a large union and a firm representing unions.

Attorney Facklam is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and has spent years representing working people in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and provides each of his clients diligent, personal advice and unflagging advocacy. He has successfully handled matters for his clients which involved disciplinary action, retaliation, termination, contractual violations, unfair labor practices and other statutory rights before state and federal agencies, in the courts and at arbitration.

Paul lives in Boston and enjoys all that the area has to offer. When not in Boston, he enjoys travel with his son and rescue dog and is working on visiting as many national parks as he can find time to explore.