Dr. Todd Shatkin, the Amherst, New York dentist who directs the Aesthetic Associates Centre, has been named in or brought several lawsuits over the past two decades. The Todd Shatkin lawsuits on record include a defamation action against a retired attorney who ran a harassment campaign against him, a federal Title VII sexual harassment suit filed by a former secretary, a pending dental malpractice case, a Lanham Act trademark dispute, and a current lease fight tied to a collapsed dental school project.
Who Todd Shatkin Is
Shatkin has been in private practice for more than 30 years and serves as director of dentistry at the Aesthetic Associates Centre on Kensington Avenue in Amherst, a facility his father, the late Samuel Shatkin Sr., established in 1989.1Todd Shatkin DDS. Our History He specializes in mini dental implants and runs Shatkin F.I.R.S.T. and the Mini Dental Implant Centers of America licensing program.2Shatkin F.I.R.S.T. Shatkin F.I.R.S.T.
Shatkin v. Ald: Defamation and Harassment
The most public of the cases is Shatkin’s defamation suit against Steven Ald, a retired Erie County attorney. The dispute traces back to a consensual affair Shatkin had with Ald’s then-wife roughly a decade before the litigation, and Ald testified under oath that his later actions were meant to “protect his family.”3Buffalo News. Second Amended Verified Complaint, Shatkin v. Ald
Beginning around 2013, Ald conducted what Shatkin’s complaint called a “relentless campaign of harassment.” In the summer of 2022, Ald purchased a New York State Thruway billboard in Chautauqua County displaying Shatkin’s photo alongside the message, “This doctor has acted inappropriately. Help us stop him.”4Buffalo News. Shatkin Ald Lawsuit Ald also created websites including “buffalopredator.com,” “buffaloperverts.com,” and “metoo-shatkin.com,” and mailed postcards to Amherst residents accusing Shatkin of being a sexual predator.3Buffalo News. Second Amended Verified Complaint, Shatkin v. Ald
Shatkin filed suit in Chautauqua County Supreme Court in July 2022. In November 2022, Justice Grace Hanlon ordered Ald to cease all contact with Shatkin, and after finding Ald had violated that order and that his testimony “lacked any credibility,” she awarded Shatkin $50,000 in legal fees and costs in August 2023.4Buffalo News. Shatkin Ald Lawsuit Shatkin then filed an amended complaint alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, and prima facie tort, and seeking injunctive relief and punitive damages.3Buffalo News. Second Amended Verified Complaint, Shatkin v. Ald
Ald invoked New York’s anti-SLAPP statute, arguing his websites were protected speech on a matter of public interest.5Buffalo News. Affidavit in Support of Motion to Amend Answer, Shatkin v. Ald A judge ultimately dismissed Shatkin’s lawsuit against Ald.6Buffalo News. Shatkin Ald Lawsuit Dismissed The New York State Education Department has taken no disciplinary action against Shatkin’s dental license in connection with any of Ald’s claims.4Buffalo News. Shatkin Ald Lawsuit
Drescher v. Shatkin: Federal Sexual Harassment Claim
In 2002, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Drescher v. Shatkin, a federal employment discrimination suit brought by Dawn Drescher, a former secretary at Samuel Shatkin DDS, MD, P.C. Drescher alleged that Todd Shatkin subjected her to “a pattern of persistent sexually offensive, harassing behavior” during her August to October 1998 employment, that her complaints to Samuel Shatkin Sr. were rebuffed, and that she was fired on October 9, 1998.7vLex. Drescher v. Shatkin
The court never reached the merits. The Western District of New York granted summary judgment to the defendants because the practice did not employ the 15 workers Title VII requires, and the Second Circuit affirmed. It held that Samuel Shatkin Sr., the sole shareholder and sole director with “absolute power” to set company policy, did not count as an employee for Title VII purposes, leaving the firm below the threshold.8Law.resource.org. Drescher v. Shatkin, 280 F.3d 201 No damages were awarded.
Niemiec v. Shatkin: Dental Malpractice
Christina Niemiec filed a medical malpractice suit against Todd E. Shatkin and the Aesthetic Associates Centre in Erie County Supreme Court on June 21, 2019, alleging professional negligence in her dental treatment. Judge Emilio L. Colaiacovo is presiding, and the case remains listed as active as of 2026.9Trellis Law. Niemiec v. Shatkin, Index No. 807630/2019
Shatkin v. Jakson: Trademark Infringement
In May 2007, Todd Shatkin and his father filed a Lanham Act trademark infringement suit in the Western District of New York against Andrew Jakson, Dental Tech Laboratories, IMTEC Laboratories, F.I.R.S.T. Laboratories, and dentist Ronald A. Bulard. The Shatkins alleged diversion of business and unauthorized use of their proprietary techniques, and the case also involved a terminated licensing agreement. Shatkin filed a stipulation of dismissal in September 2009, ending the case.10Justia. Shatkin v. Jakson et al, Docket 1:2007cv00332
The Daemen Dental School Lease Dispute
In April 2023, Shatkin and Daemen University announced plans to open the “Shatkin College of Dentistry,” with Shatkin investing $5 million to $7 million to build out a redeveloped Philipps Brothers Supply building next to his Kensington Avenue campus. The school aimed to enroll 60 students per year.11Buffalo News. Shatkin Daemen Dental School Partnership Collapse
After the founding dean left for the University of Nebraska Medical Center in late June 2023, Daemen terminated the partnership, saying it “no longer made strategic sense.”11Buffalo News. Shatkin Daemen Dental School Partnership Collapse The fallout became litigation in February 2026, when Shatkin’s landlord accused him of defaulting on the lease for the Philipps Brothers site. Shatkin countersued in March 2026, seeking more than $652,000 in damages and disputing the landlord’s reading of a specific lease clause.12Buffalo Business First. Amherst Dentist Shatkin Countersuit Landlord