Nathan J. Shafner

Attorney Nathan J. Shafner, a lifelong resident of Southeastern Connecticut, has been a formidable advocate for injured workers and their families for over 35 years. Since 1988, Nathan has represented thousands of people in connection with their workers’ compensation claims. 

Nathan graduated from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1988 with a Juris Doctor. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1983. Licensed to practice law in the State of Connecticut since 1988 and the United States District Court, Connecticut since 1989, Nathan has represented thousands of injured workers, their spouses, and children in connection with their workers’ compensation claims.

Nathan’s experience spans workers’ compensation claims throughout Connecticut, including shipyard and dock workers under the Longshore Act, and Defense Base Act injuries of federal contractors injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, he has been involved with over 60 appeals before the Connecticut Compensation Review Board, and in both the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts.

Nathan actively works with Unions to educate members on their rights and responsibilities when confronted with safety issues. He regularly organizes seminars and workshops for union members, offering his guidance when they are faced with the many obstacles associated with work-related injuries.

In addition to championing clients at hearings, Attorney Shafner annually drafts bills and testifies before the General Assembly for legislative changes. Furthermore, as a long-standing member of the Workers’ Compensation Legal Advisory Board, he actively pushes for administrative improvements to ensure fairness when processing claims.

Nathan is a past member of the Connecticut Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Executive Committee, is currently a member of the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group and is a member and past co-Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. He was named as a Best Attorney in the USA in 2009 and a Top Attorney in the State of Connecticut from 2009 – 2023. He has published numerous articles on workers’ compensation matters and lectured on workers’ compensation on behalf of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group.

“Workers’ Compensation is in my DNA, as it has been a part of my heritage for over 100 years. My great, great Aunt, Bessie Cohen, a union organizer, was a survivor of the infamous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire in New York City, which lead to the first workers’ safety laws in the country. Also, my father, Attorney Matthew Shafner, was a pioneer in the field of asbestos injuries, filing the first asbestos claims against Electric Boat.”

Nathan is a fan of all music with an interest in obscure Frank Zappa compositions and live Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead concerts. A native New Londoner, he now resides in Waterford with his beautiful girlfriend Alexandra, and three cats, Swanky, Omar and Rodney. He is also a proud father of his two grown children, Sarena and Justin. Nathan enjoys nature photography, gardening, and is an avid saltwater aquarist. In Nathan’s spare time, he enjoys reading about historical figures, political events, and local history.