Revered Florida trial attorney dies at his law office at age 85
One of Florida’s best-known and most successful trial attorneys died suddenly at his Fort Lauderdale law office Wednesday, doing the work he loved.
Sheldon “Shelly” Schlesinger was 85 years old.
Considered the dean of Broward County trial lawyers, he was particularly known for his work to curtail tobacco advertising, as part of a “dream team” of lawyers who got a $13 billion settlement for the state from tobacco companies 20 years ago. Three years later, he won a record $60 million from General Motors, in a case over an automobile fuel tank design.
Former state attorney general Bob Butterworth said Schlesinger called the tobacco case “the greatest thing I’ve ever been involved in” when the two last talked, about a month ago. Focused on advertising claims and marketing to minors, it is credited with helping to eliminate Joe Camel and the Marboro Man as national ad icons, the Sun Sentinel reports.
But these were far from the only major milestones in a legal career that spanned 60 years and continued until Schlesinger’s death.
“He was one of the trial lawyers who lives for the courtroom, and everyone knew he would continue working to the very end,” Miami attorney Joel Perwin, who handled appeals for Schlesinger, told the Daily Business Review (sub. req.). “He was still achieving results and trying cases until the very end.”
Jon Krupnick of Krupnick Campbell Malone Buser Slama Hancock Liberman had known Schlesinger for nearly 50 years.
“You always felt like something big was going to happen when he was in the courtroom,” said Krupnick. “He absolutely riveted your attention.”
Nonetheless, despite his love of the law, Schlesinger also found time to focus on his family, including two sons in practice with him at his Fort Lauderdale firm.
“I can’t remember making any important decisions without him,” said son Scott Schlesinger.
His father came to the office on Wednesday, seemingly fine, and then suddenly and painlessly died, Schlesinger told the Sun Sentinel. “He worked up to the day he died doing the thing that defined him, which was practicing law.”
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