The San Diego criminal defense attorney is recognized among the Most Influential People in San Diego for the fourth time in the past five years.
San Die, CA (PRUnderground) October 27th, 2026
David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys is proud to announce that Founder and Managing Partner David P. Shapiro has been selected for the San Diego Business Journal's SD500: The Most Influential People in San Diego for 2026. This is Shapiro's fourth time on the list, following his selections in 2022, 2024, and 2025.
The SD500 is an annual publication of the San Diego Business Journal that profiles leaders who shape the region's business community. Honorees are selected by the Business Journal's newsroom, and the full list appears in the publication's SD500 special issue, released each November.
The Honoree
David P. Shapiro has practiced criminal defense exclusively in San Diego since 2007 and opened his own firm in 2010. Since then, David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys has grown from a solo practice into a full team of attorneys and assistants that defends people facing serious criminal charges in courthouses throughout San Diego County.
Recognized for Work Beyond the Courtroom
The Business Journal's 2026 profile of Shapiro places particular weight on his work in and for the San Diego community. Shapiro and the firm support organizations focused on second chances, reentry and access to justice, including Second Chance, which provides job training for justice-involved San Diegans; Rise Up Industries, a reentry and gang prevention program that trains formerly incarcerated people in advanced manufacturing; and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, which provides pro bono legal help to San Diegans in need. He also supports a number of other local youth and community organizations.
"Being named to the SD500 a fourth time reinforces the belief and expectation that our greatest impact to the San Diego community occurs outside the courtroom," said Shapiro. "The people we represent are part of this community. Many of them are good people who made a mistake or got caught in a bad situation, and helping them regain control of their future matters to me as much as defending them."
A Record of Peer and Professional Recognition
The SD500 selection adds to a list of honors Shapiro and the firm have earned over the years. In 2022, the Better Business Bureau presented the firm with its Torch Award for Ethics, which recognizes businesses that demonstrate a commitment to ethical practices. Shapiro has held an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell every year since 2019, Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer review rating for both legal ability and ethical standards. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers 12 times since 2015. In 2025 and 2026, the San Diego Business Journal also named the firm a "Company That Cares" for its philanthropic and community impact across the region.
Defending Good People Across San Diego County
David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys represents people across San Diego County who are under investigation or charged with crimes, with a focus on serious felony matters including violent crimes, weapons offenses, drug charges and sex offenses. The firm's view is that a criminal case touches far more than a court file. It affects a person's family, job, reputation and future, and the firm's commitment to the community reflects that same understanding.
About David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys
David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys is a San Diego criminal defense firm representing individuals and families throughout San Diego County in state and federal criminal matters. The firm maintains offices in San Diego and El Cajon and focuses on serious felony and misdemeanor defense. Learn more at www.davidpshapirolaw.com.
About the San Diego Business Journal
The San Diego Business Journal is a weekly business publication covering companies, industries and leaders across the San Diego region. Its annual SD500 issue profiles the people its newsroom identifies as the most influential leaders in San Diego's business community. More information is available at www.sdbj.com.
Media Contact
David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys
2550 Fifth Ave, Suite 1050 San Diego, CA 92103
