Robert R. Sheldon

When I was in seventh grade, I was hit by a speeding car while I was walking home after playing basketball at a local Boys & Girls Club. The force of the impact propelled me approximately 15 feet and I landed, unconscious, on the porch of the Hebert Candy Shop. I was rushed by ambulance to Bridgeport Hospital, where I was treated for a concussion and injuries to my right arm and hand. I remained in the hospital for three days and missed nearly one month from school. Fortunately, after excellent medical treatment, I was able to recover from my injuries.

During the course of my legal career, I have successfully represented numerous men, women and children who have been injured in motor vehicle collisions, construction accidents, falls, workplace incidents, or as a result of legal malpractice, medical malpractice or sexual abuse. My own personal experience as an injury victim has been invaluable in helping me to understand the pain and suffering that these individuals have endured and how their injuries have adversely affected their daily life.

I believe that my job as a trial lawyer is to tell my injured client's story to the people who will ultimately decide their case, whether it be an insurance adjuster, a defense lawyer, a jury, a judge, an arbitrator or a workers' compensation commissioner. In order to properly convey that information, it is important that I get to really know my clients and learn as much as I can about their lives, their family, their work, their interests, etc. That means spending quality time with my clients, listening to them, and establishing a strong relationship with them.

It is also important in earning my clients' trust that they learn more about me. I was born in Bridgeport and grew up in Fairfield. My Dad was a postal worker, and my Mom was a secretary. My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to always try and do my best in everything that I did - in school, at work and on the athletic field. Those qualities have served me well throughout my life.

I graduated from Holy Cross College and the University of Connecticut School of Law. After successfully passing the Connecticut Bar exam, I joined my late partner and mentor, Paul Tremont, in the practice of law and I continue to practice in the same office with his son and two colleagues. Paul was a brilliant attorney, a prodigious worker, a great teacher and a wonderful colleague. My success as a trial lawyer is largely attributable to the skills that I learned under his tutelage and guidance.

I strongly believe in "giving back" to the legal profession that has been such an important part of my adult life. During my career, I have served for many years as a member of the Board of Governors of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. I was honored to be elected as its President. I also served as the first Chairman of its Workers' Compensation Section. In both capacities, I drafted legislation and testified on numerous occasions before the Connecticut Legislature in support of bills that have safeguarded and enhanced the rights of accident victims and injured workers. I also was nominated by the Governor and served a four-year term on the state Judicial Review Council, the body that investigates the conduct of Connecticut judges and workers' compensation commissioners. In addition, I was recently nominated by the Governor to serve as a Temporary Deputy Commissioner on the State Claims Commission, helping to reduce the substantial backlog of personal injury cases that have been filed against the State and its various agencies.

In selecting an attorney, it is important to know what their peers and others think of them. I have been selected every year since 1995 for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, which is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence, in the areas of both personal injury law and workers' compensation law. I am also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation-only organization of personal injury trial attorneys who have demonstrated significant trial experience. In addition, I have also been designated as one of the top attorneys in the state by Connecticut Super Lawyers. I also have been awarded the top "AV" rating given by Martindale-Hubbell only to those lawyers with the highest professional ability and ethical standards.

On a personal note, my wife, Debby, and I recently celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary. We have three grown sons, who are happily married, and successfully pursuing careers in insurance, advertising and design management. They have blessed us with six beautiful grandchildren, ages 10 months -8 years, who never fail to put a smile on our faces. In "normal" times, Debby and I enjoy traveling, going to Broadway musicals, watching movies, taking long walks, socializing with friends, and most especially, getting together with our family to celebrate holidays and birthdays and for impromptu gatherings. I personally love to read, watch sports and get my hands dirty by working outside in the gardens at our home.