About William

William David Shanahan, ESQ or Bill, as he is known by friends, is a lifelong resident of Queens County. He was born in Woodhaven, Queens from working class parents, Arthur and Giuseppina Shanahan. A product of local schooling, he attended Saint Thomas the Apostle elementary school, and continued onto Cathedral Prep Seminary Highschool in Elmhurst, Queens. 
William is a graduate of St. John’s University in Jamaica Queens where he obtained a BS degree in Criminal Justice. After attending college, he went on to obtain his law degree at Saint John’s Law School.

William’s Legal career has spanned over 33 years litigating both criminal and civil cases in the New York area courts. The best way to describe his legal career is to say that it is exemplary of a lawyer with a “balanced” legal background. 
After graduating law School, William went on to be a Nassau County Assistant District Attorney. He worked diligently with the police and victims of crimes prosecuting some of the most serious criminal offenders.
After 10 years as a Senior Assistant D.A. William left the D.A.’s Office to pursue a career in the private sector. He joined a prestigious civil law firm on Wall Street as a civil litigator. He subsequently joined Allstate Insurance as the Senior legal counsel in the Special investigation bureau focusing on fraudulent lawsuits.  
In 2005, William established the law Office of William D. Shanahan, focusing on general litigation, as well as representing indigent defendants in criminal cases.
William also serves as a Court appointed Arbitrator dealing with civil lawsuits while conducting trials and overseeing litigation involving civil litigants. 
Over the course of his career, William has been involved in numerous high-profile cases and has appeared as a guest on various cable news shows. His reputation in the legal community is that of a compassionate, personable and knowledgeable attorney.   He has offered his services on many occasions to those who cannot afford representation, and has fought for the civil rights of those people in need of help.
Last year, after undergoing an extensive background review by the New York City Bar in which many judges and attorneys were interviewed, William was found qualified to be a judge by the New York City Bar as well as the Queens County Bar Association. 
William is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and involved with the Puerto Rican Bar Association. In his spare time, William loves to travel, bike ride and cook.