The community of New York, New York is mourning the death of Paul J. Napoli, a distinguished trial lawyer, devoted husband and father, and nationally respected advocate whose decades-long legal career was defined by service, courage, and an unshakable commitment to justice.
Napoli built a remarkable career fighting for people harmed by corporate negligence, environmental disasters, and public health crises. A graduate of Fordham University, St. John’s University School of Law, and Lewis & Clark Law School, he became one of the nation’s most recognized mass tort and environmental litigators. Over more than three decades, he played major roles in litigation tied to the World Trade Center attacks, the Flint water crisis, opioid cases, PFAS contamination, and Fen-Phen pharmaceutical claims, helping secure billions in settlements for affected communities and families.
Beyond the courtroom, Napoli was remembered as a protector and caregiver whose greatest pride was his family. His firm, Napoli Shkolnik, described him as a man of compassion and generosity who never turned away someone in need. He also supported first responders, environmental justice initiatives, and charitable causes, including work connected to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and the Environmental Justice Laboratory at NYU School of Law.
Paul J. Napoli will be remembered not only for his legal victories, but for the people he defended, the communities he strengthened, and the family he cherished above all else. His legacy lives on in the lives he changed through compassion, leadership, and an enduring refusal to accept injustice.