Sheldon R. Poole primarily defends corporate clients in complex product liability, environmental, toxic tort and commercial litigation matters. He has substantial experience handling high-exposure personal injury and property damage claims involving alleged catastrophic injuries, wrongful death and survivorship claims and environmental contamination allegations.
Sheldon has represented manufacturers and other corporate defendants in state, federal and multidistrict litigation involving a broad range of products, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, consumer products, home goods and children's toys. He works closely with clients, fact witnesses and expert witnesses to develop and execute case strategies in technically and scientifically complex matters.
A significant component of Sheldon's practice involves expert witness management and causation defense. He has extensive experience preparing experts for deposition, defending expert witnesses during deposition and taking expert depositions across a range of scientific, medical, engineering, environmental and damages disciplines. He regularly develops alternative causation theories through comprehensive fact and expert discovery, helping clients challenge plaintiffs' liability and damages claims in complex litigation.
In addition to his product liability and environmental practice, Sheldon has experience representing clients in commercial litigation and has handled matters involving premises liability, retail and hospitality liability, employment disputes, construction defect claims and entertainment-related litigation. His broad litigation background enables him to advise clients facing a wide range of business and operational risks.
Sheldon has served on numerous trial teams in high-stakes litigation, including as a third-chair trial attorney responsible for witness development, fact and expert discovery, trial strategy support and preparing examination and cross-examination outlines for fact and expert witnesses. He has taken and defended dozens of depositions and has extensive experience managing the discovery process in complex litigation.
An active leader within the legal profession, Sheldon has held and continues to hold leadership positions with organizations including Connecticut's Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association and Defense Research Institute (DRI).