American Association for Justice
2011-02-04
Stephen A. Sheller, Esquire, founder and Managing Partner of Sheller, P.C., was presented with the first annual Pioneer Award by the Tobacco Control Resource Center at the American Association for Justice Winter Convention in Miami, Florida.
”I am honored to present Steve Sheller with the first ever Pioneer Award for his forward-thinking and innovative work in protecting consumers from the dangers of smoking,” said Professor Richard A. Daynard, Professor of Law at the Northeastern University School of Law. Daynard presented Sheller with the award at a meeting of lawyers involved in tobacco litigation on behalf of the Tobacco Control Resource Center, a division of The Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Prof. Daynard recognized Sheller for his ground-breaking work in exposing the light cigarette “scam.” “I recall an important event in the litigation when Steve discovered an important internal document minutes before a crucial deposition in Winston-Salem in 1997 that has now become one of the “smoking guns” of the “light” cigarette tobacco litigation,” recalled Daynard. Prof. Daynard also discussed Sheller’s work for more than 30 years in pursuing Big Tobacco around the country.
Sheller accepts award
During his acceptance, Sheller acknowledged Professor Daynard’s own “dogged pursuit” of the tobacco industry, and also recognized several other leaders in tobacco litigation, including Chuck Tauman, Esq. of Portland, OR; Tim Howard, Esq., a professor at Northeastern University School of Law and an attorney in Tallahassee, FL; and Edward H. Zebersky of Zebersky & Payne, LLP in South Hollywood, FL. He also thanked his fellow plaintiff’s lawyers for continuing to battle these well-funded and recalcitrant defendants.
About Sheller, P.C.
The Sheller Firm is counsel in numerous class action and individual cases against the nation’s largest tobacco companies based on their marketing and sale of so-called “light” cigarettes. The Sheller Firm’s tobacco practice remains active at both the trial court and appellate levels.
