David Shakow, professor emeritus of law in Penn’s Carey Law School, died on January 16 from causes related to COVID-19. He was 75.

Mr. Shakow received a BA from Harvard in 1967 and a JD from Harvard Law School in 1970. He served as clerk to the Honorable William H. Hastie of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, after which he joined the New York law firm of Davis Polk and Wardwell. He received an LLM in taxation from New York University School of Law in 1976 and served in the Office of the Tax Legislative Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury before joining the Penn faculty in 1982. That year, he was recruited as an associate professor in Penn’s Law School. Five years later, he became a full professor.

While at Penn, Mr. Shakow served on various Faculty Senate committees. Mr. Shakow’s specialty was in taxation, and he wrote, researched, and lectured extensively in the field. His work earned University recognition, such as a UPS Foundation Public Policy Initiatives Fund grant in 1988 and a University Research Foundation Award in 1999 for his influential paper “A Comprehensive Wealth Tax,” written with Alvin L. Snowiss Professor of Law Reed Shuldiner. In 2000, Mr. Shakow retired and took emeritus status, though he remained a lecturer at Penn until his death. After retiring, Mr. Shakow practiced at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

“David was an integral part of our faculty for many years,” said Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law Theodore Ruger. “We mourn his passing, and our thoughts go out to his loved ones.”

Mr. Shakow is survived by his wife, Kineret (nee Piltch); and his children.