[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 135 (Friday, September 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MATTHEW SHAFNER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 18, 2015

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Matthew 
Shafner, who recently passed away after a courageous battle with 
cancer. Matt was a beloved native son of the Groton-New London 
community, and a legendary attorney who never wavered as a champion of 
the underdog.
  Born in New London in 1935, Matt attended the Bulkeley School and 
graduated from New London High School in 1953. Growing up, Matt worked 
for his family's renowned furniture business headed by his father, who 
also served as a state representative in the Connecticut General 
Assembly. Matt earned his undergraduate degree from the University of 
Connecticut and was awarded a law degree from UConn Law School in 1959. 
Shortly thereafter, Matt opened and built a workers' compensation 
practice with John O'Brien in New London, representing the region's 
shipyard workers. These deep roots in the southeastern Connecticut 
community indelibly connected Matt with the citizens--his neighbors--
whom he would represent in the courtroom.
  In the early seventies, Matt took the case of a shipyard worker who 
died of lung cancer and then took on asbestos companies. The lawsuits 
started with one asbestos case and one lung cancer case and quickly 
grew to 12 cases and then 50 cases including asbestos, lung cancer, 
mesothelioma, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer and GI cancer. By the 
end of the decade, the first 50 asbestos cases settled for $6.5 
million--winning surviving families justice and compensation for their 
losses.
  Matt continued to handle many other cases, including 90 aerospace 
workers who had developed brain tumors after working in the same 
factory. Another powerful case for Matt arose out of a fabricated glove 
and aprons manufacturer in northeastern Connecticut using chrysotile 
asbestos cloth and gas masks with crocidolite asbestos filters. The 
plant manager's son, who worked during school vacations and was a 
biking champion of Connecticut, developed pleural mesothelioma at age 
41. He died soon after, leaving a young wife and two infant children. 
Matt won the case for this family in court.
  In the New London Day, Senior Superior Court Judge Robert Martin 
described Matt as a ``unanimous first ballot hall-of-fame lawyer. He 
had no peer in the personal injury field. We have a lot of good lawyers 
in New London County, but Matt really set the bar and I think everybody 
played off him. I don't know any lawyer who cared about justice more 
than Matt Shafner.''
  Matt served his community as faithfully he served individuals in 
need, as the attorney for the City of Groton for 20 years.
  Matt was named among the Super Lawyers of Connecticut every year from 
2007 to 2012, as well as in New England and Metropolitan New York Matt 
served as President of the New London County Bar Association, on the 
Board of Governors of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and as 
State Delegate to the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. His 
lectures included a 1981 address to the XI Triennial World Congress of 
Pathology in Jerusalem on the legal aspects of asbestos disease. Matt 
was awarded the first Paul Tremont Award for Advocacy recognizing the 
first asbestos litigation in the Northeast filed in 1975.
  In addition to his prolific professional career, Matt was a stalwart, 
grassroots activist in local, state, and national politics. A member of 
the Groton Democratic Town Committee, Matt faithfully worked at party 
headquarters, attended conventions as a delegate, and shared his 
compassionate perspective on issues of the day in the press and with 
public officials and candidates.
  I benefited greatly from Matt's strong support during my two 
campaigns for Congress as a challenger. In 2006, when my race was 
decided by 83 votes out of 242,000 cast, Matt volunteered to help with 
the recount process--a very tense and challenging task. His training 
and experience as a lawyer and his passion for democracy were a perfect 
blend, from which I feel honored to have benefited.
  For someone so accomplished, Matt was known equally for his 
extraordinary humility. His gentleness belied a tenacity in the 
courtroom that was unparalleled for his clients and achieved major 
victories for them.
  Matt is survived by his wife Denise, four children, three step-
children, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren I ask my 
colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest sorrow for their loss 
and to the southeastern Connecticut community who lost a humble legal 
legend, who never stopped fighting for the underdog.

                          ____________________