8 of the richest lawyers in the world – net worths, ranked, from Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s former running mate Nicole Shanahan to Microsoft’s Bill Neukom

Sep 12 , 2024

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s would-be running mate Nicole Shanahan, NBA investor Jerry Reinsdorf, and Microsoft’s Bill Neukom are some of the richest lawyers in the world. Photo: Getty Images, @nba/Instagram

Nicole Shanahan’s marriage and hefty divorce settlement from Google co-founder Sergey Brin turned her into a billionaire, while both William Lerach and Richard Scruggs were later disbarred

Jerry Reinsdorf owns MLB’s Chicago White Sox and NBA’s Chicago Bulls – the latter he bought in 1985 for US$9.2 million, a year after Michael Jordan joined … but just how rich is he?

Lawyers are globally known for charging exorbitant fees – but how rich are some of the most successful, controversial and famous among them really? From Hollywood celebrity lawyers and a Southeast Asian mogul, to legal legends who have since been disbarred, some of the world’s richest lawyers could give Tinseltown and Silicon Valley a run for their money. We take a closer look at their wealth, with the help of Celebrity Net Worth, Forbes and other sources.

8. Robert Shapiro, 81

Estimated net worth: US$100 million

Robert Shapiro, who was on O.J. Simpson’s legal team in 1999. Photo: AP

Celebrity lawyer Robert Shapiro is best known for being a member of O.J. Simpson’s team of lawyers alongside Robert Kardashian, which successfully defended him when he was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He later represented Rob Kardashian in the 2017 revenge porn case against Blac Chyna.

Shapiro is also a successful entrepreneur who co-founded ShoeDazzle, LegalZoom and RightCounsel.com.

7. Judge Judy, 81

Estimated net worth: US$440 million

Judge Judy Sheindlin during a filming session in her courtroom. Photo: @judyjustice/Instagram

One of the legal world’s most famous faces, American lawyer Judy Sheindlin is best known for TV series Judge Judy, which ran for 25 seasons from 1996 to 2021. This led to Judge Judy becoming the longest-serving arbitrator in television history. She’s also one of the wealthiest, earning US$47 million annually towards the end of its run, per The Guardian. In 2019, she was awarded the Emmy Award for lifetime achievement at the 46th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for her career-long contributions to the television industry.

6. Bill Neukom, 82

Estimated net worth: US$850 million

Bill Neukom is known for his roles with Microsoft and, later, as CEO of the San Francisco Giants. Photo: Getty Images

Bill Neukom made his fortune as the lead lawyer for the Microsoft Corporation for almost 25 years, overseeing the company’s legal, government and philanthropic affairs. He also dipped his toes into sports as the CEO of the San Francisco Giants baseball team between 2008 and 2011.