Shelley L. Graves

Shelley L. Graves, Managing Partner

Professional Biography:

Practicing law since 1994, Graves has handled personal injury matters of all kinds, including those arising from motorcycle and car accidents, tractor trailer truck accidents, fall downs, improper sexual conduct, pharmacy prescription errors, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, product defects, dog bites and tragic accidents resulting in wrongful deaths.

In one of her first major negligence cases, she secured a $2.0 million dollar judgment after a jury trial for a youth who suffered the amputation of three fingers when a wood splitter was improperly activated. More recently, Graves obtained a $8.9 million dollar judgment after a trial to a jury for a 27 year old tractor trailer truck driver who suffered serious injury after an oil tanker caused a multi-car collision on I-95. As a result of this multi-million dollar verdict, Graves was named to the Connecticut Law Tribune's Personal Injury Hall of Fame for the category of Motor Vehicle verdicts and settlements.

Graves has been honored each year with selection for the esteemed publication The Best Lawyers in America since 2010. Best Lawyers is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.   Best Lawyers has also named her "Lawyer of the Year" for New London County in the field of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs" three times (2016, 2018 and 2020).  That distinction is awarded to only one lawyer per legal community each year for having the highest ratings among their peers for their abilities, professionalism and integrity.

Since 2016 Connecticut magazine has publicized her as one of the “Top 50 Lawyers” in Connecticut and "Top 100 Lawyers" in New England based on her ranking by Super Lawyers, a respected rating service.  She is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association (by invitation), and is named by the organization as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Connecticut.

Graves is the co-author of Connecticut Trial Evidence Notebook, published by Lexis Law Publishing. The book features an annual supplement that details new judicial decisions on the law of evidence and is commonly used by lawyers and judges in Connecticut.

Based on her credentials and experience, the Connecticut Superior Court appointed Graves in 2009 to serve as a fact finder / arbitrator for the court's dispute resolution program. Since 2003, she has held an elected seat on the Board of Governors of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, an organization dedicated to the rights of injured persons within the civil justice system.  She is also an active member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the American Association of Justice.

Graves is a true New London County native. She was raised in Norwich, and currently lives in Lebanon with her family. She graduated from St. Bernard High School in Uncasville and obtained both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Connecticut. She is dedicated to actively supporting her community by volunteering time and resources to United Way of Southeastern Connecticut, Sacred Heart School of Taftville and other non-profit organizations in the region.