Susan M. Sharko
Partner
Overview
Susan Sharko is a certified civil trial attorney who concentrates her practice on products liability and mass torts. She has significant experience managing pharmaceutical and medical device litigation in federal and state courts throughout the United States, including the successful strategic development of Rule 702 motions and hearing presentations and arguments. Susan is highly regarded for her experience as global and national coordinating counsel in multidistrict pharmaceutical and medical device litigations. She also has significant experience in the design, negotiation and implementation of large national settlement programs. She has been appointed as lead and liaison counsel in MDL and state court litigations in New Jersey and around the country many times.
Susan received the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey’s Trial Bar Award, the highest honor given to trial attorneys in New Jersey, in 2018. She is consistently recognized by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and Best Lawyers in America as a leading lawyer in the area of Products Liability.
Susan is a frequent author and speaker at conferences for both lawyers and the judiciary. She actively represents asylum seekers on a pro bono basis.
She was a law clerk to the late New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Clifford.
Appointments
- New Jersey Supreme Court Board on Trial Attorney Certification (Past Chairperson)
- District X Fee Arbitration Committee (Past Chairperson)
Credentials
Bar Admissions
New Jersey
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Certifications
Certified Civil Trial Attorney — New Jersey Supreme Court with regular recertificationEducation
New York University School of Law
J.D. (1979)
Lehigh University
B.A. with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa (1976)
Insights & Events
Latest
Leadership & Community
Professional Associations
- Trial Attorneys of New Jersey (Past President)
- American Bar Foundation (Fellow)
- Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey (Past Trustee)
- American Law Institute (Elected Member)
- International Association of Defense Counsel (Elected Member)
- Products Liability Advisory Counsel (Sustaining Member)
- William J. Brennen, Jr. – Arthur Vanderbilt Inn of Court (Former Master)
Honors
- NJBIZ – Law Power List, 2025
This award is conferred by NJBIZ. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Forbes — America’s Top 200 Lawyers, 2024
This award is conferred by Forbes. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Faegre Drinker — Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2022-23
This award is conferred by Faegre Drinker. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Lexology Index — Product Liability Defense, 2023-24
This award is conferred by Lexology. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Lexology Index — Life Sciences - Product Liability, 2024
This award is conferred by Lexology. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Trial Attorneys of New Jersey — Trial Bar Award, 2018
This award is conferred by the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - New Jersey Law Journal — Top Women in the Law, 2018
This award is conferred by American Lawyer Media. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Best Lawyers® — Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action - Defendants, 2020-26; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (Lawyer of the Year, 2020), 2020-26
This award is conferred by Best Lawyers. A description of the methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Benchmark Litigation — "Litigation Star," 2017-19
This award is conferred by Benchmark Litigation. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Chambers USA — Band 1, New Jersey, Litigation: Products Liability, 2005-25
This award is conferred by Chambers & Partners. A description of the methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Chambers USA — Band 3, Nationwide, Product Liability & Mass Torts, 2020-23
This award is conferred by Chambers & Partners. A description of the methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Chambers USA — Band 4, Nationwide, Product Liability & Mass Torts, 2018-19, 2024-25
This award is conferred by Chambers & Partners. A description of the methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. - Chambers USA — Band 5, Nationwide, Product Liability & Mass Torts, 2015-17
This award is conferred by Chambers & Partners. A description of the methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
No aspect of these recognitions has been approved by the highest court of any state.