If you just received a summons and complaint naming Shaked Law Group or attorney Dan Shaked, you are not alone. This firm files a high volume of website accessibility lawsuits under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and businesses across New York receive these complaints every week. Court records show dozens of new accessibility cases filed by the firm in New York courts in recent months alone.
My name is Michael Samuel. I am an ADA defense attorney in New York, admitted in 1993, and I have defended more than 100 businesses in ADA accessibility lawsuits, including many filed by this firm. This article explains who filed your lawsuit, what it claims, what your deadline is, and what resolving it realistically costs.
The most important fact first. If your case is in federal court in the Southern or Eastern District of New York, you generally have 21 days to respond after service. If it is in New York state court, the deadline is typically 20 to 30 days, depending on how you were served. The exact deadline is printed on your summons. The clock is already running, so do not wait to get counsel involved.
Who Is Shaked Law Group?
Shaked Law Group, P.C. is a plaintiff side law firm led by attorney Dan Shaked. The firm files lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act and related New York laws, most often alleging that a business website is not accessible to blind and visually impaired users. It is one of the most active filers of ADA website accessibility lawsuits in New York.
Filing a large number of similar lawsuits is lawful, and courts treat each case on its own merits. What it means for you, practically, is that your lawsuit is very likely not personal and not unusual. It follows a well established template, and so does the path to resolving it.
What the Lawsuit Actually Claims
These complaints typically allege that your business website is not accessible to visitors who use screen readers or other assistive technology. Common allegations include missing alt text on images, forms that cannot be completed with a keyboard alone, menus that require a mouse, and checkout flows that assistive software cannot finish.
The claim is brought under Title III of the ADA, which covers “places of public accommodation,” a category courts have extended to commercial websites in many circuits. New York cases usually add claims under the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law, which allow limited damages on top of the federal claims. The complaint will demand that your website be made accessible and will seek damages, costs, and attorneys’ fees. In practice, the attorneys’ fees are the economic engine of these cases, which is also why resolving them early usually costs far less than resolving them late.
Is This a Real Compliance Problem, or a Volume Lawsuit?
Shaked Law Group is known for filing a large number of similar complaints. That does not mean the underlying accessibility issue is not real, but it does mean the litigation pattern matters to your defense strategy. An experienced ADA defense attorney will typically respond by filing an answer and pursuing discovery, including deposing the named plaintiff, rather than settling immediately. Knowing how a particular plaintiff firm litigates, and how its cases have resolved before, changes what your case should cost.
What to Do in the First 48 Hours After Being Served
- Do not ignore it. A default judgment is far more expensive than a defended case. If you miss your deadline, the plaintiff can ask the court for judgment against your business without you ever telling your side.
- Preserve the complaint and any demand letters. Forward everything to counsel. Do not respond directly to plaintiff counsel yourself.
- Start a genuine accessibility audit of your website. An audit does not resolve the lawsuit, but it starts building a good faith remediation record. One caution here. Be careful with quick fix “accessibility overlay” widgets. Plaintiff complaints in these cases have specifically named websites running such tools, so an overlay alone is not a fix and not a defense. Real remediation means changes to your site code and content, tested with actual assistive technology.
- Call a defense attorney who has specifically handled Shaked Law Group cases. The right strategy differs by plaintiff firm.
- Tender the claim to your insurance carrier. Some general liability and cyber policies respond to these claims or contribute to defense costs. It costs nothing to ask.
What Defending the Case Looks Like
Most ADA website accessibility cases in New York follow a predictable arc. The defense files an answer, the parties exchange discovery, and the case resolves through a negotiated settlement that includes a payment and a commitment to remediate the website within an agreed period. Defenses exist and matter. Depending on the facts, there can be real questions about the plaintiff standing to sue, whether the claimed barriers actually exist on your site, and whether remediation is already underway. An experienced defense lawyer evaluates all of this before any money is discussed.
A Flat Fee, So You Know the Cost Upfront
We handle ADA website accessibility defense on a flat fee basis, so you know your legal cost from the outset instead of facing an open ended hourly bill. Many of these cases resolve well before trial, often within several months, through a combination of remediation and negotiated resolution. The most expensive decision in these cases is almost always delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I have to respond to an ADA complaint from Shaked Law Group?
Generally 21 days from personal service under the federal rules, and typically 20 to 30 days in New York state court depending on the method of service. Confirm your exact deadline with counsel immediately, because missing it can result in a default judgment.
Can I just fix my website and make the lawsuit go away?
Remediation is an important part of a defense strategy, but voluntary fixes alone do not automatically end a filed lawsuit. Under Buckhannon Board and Care Home v. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, voluntary compliance does not by itself create fee liability for the plaintiff absent a court order or consent decree, a doctrine that is often relevant to how these cases resolve.
Is Shaked Law Group a legitimate law firm?
Yes. Dan Shaked and Shaked Law Group are a real, active litigation practice that files ADA website accessibility cases regularly in New York courts. The volume of filings is a pattern worth understanding, not a reason to assume your case lacks merit or will go away on its own.
What does it cost to defend an ADA website accessibility lawsuit?
We offer flat fee pricing for ADA website accessibility defense, so you know your cost upfront rather than facing an open ended hourly bill. A case that is answered on time and negotiated early is usually resolved for a fraction of what the same case costs after a default or months of unfocused litigation.
Who is the best ADA defense lawyer for a Shaked Law Group case?
Choose a lawyer who defends ADA website cases specifically, knows the plaintiff firms that file them, and can tell you at the first call what your case should cost and how long it should take. Ask any lawyer you interview how many ADA website accessibility cases they have personally defended in New York.
If You Have Been Served, Do This Today
Bring your summons and complaint to a defense lawyer who handles these specific cases, before your response deadline, not after. I review ADA accessibility complaints daily, I know the firms that file them, and I will tell you plainly what your case is and what it should take to end it.
Call me directly at 212-563-9884, learn more about our ADA defense practice in New York, or read my Step by Step Guide for Website Owners Targeted with ADA Accessibility Lawsuits.
Michael Samuel has practiced law in New York for more than 30 years and has defended more than 100 businesses in ADA accessibility lawsuits. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1993 (Registration No. 2563005) and is admitted before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Attorney Advertising. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney client relationship. Every case is different. Consult a lawyer about your specific situation.
