Shawn N. Skolky

Shawn is a trusted regulatory adviser and litigator for multinational companies seeking representation in all phases of the product life cycle. Shawn advises on issues of product compliance, government reporting obligations, recalls, safety investigations and enforcement matters involving various federal and state agencies. Shawn’s experience spans both established regulatory regimes, such as the US Consumer Product Safety Act, Federal Trade Commission Act and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as well as nascent and challenging regulatory developments, including PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), right-to-repair, extended producer responsibility, and batteries regulations.

Shawn advises clients on pre- and post-market safety, design and regulatory issues, as well as how to deal with regulatory authorities and handle crises, including global recalls. Shawn also guides companies through the recall process and has helped clients avoid recalls of consumer goods, ranging from children’s products and home furnishings to consumer electronics, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) products, and fitness equipment. Shawn regularly advises companies on product warning and labeling matters, including development of strategies to mitigate litigation risk, as well as on compliance with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) truth-in-advertising regulations and labeling and registration requirements of various federal agencies. Shawn’s regulatory practice spans a number of federal agencies – including the FTC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Shawn’s litigation practice focuses on issues pervasive in the products industry, including trial and arbitration of product liability, commercial, warranty and antitrust disputes. He has successfully represented Fortune 500 companies before federal and state courts and administrative and arbitral bodies in disputes involving mass tort litigation, product defect claims, and express and implied warranty claims.

Shawn joined Cooley in 2021 after more than five years at two international law firms in Atlanta and Washington, DC, where he handled product regulatory issues, as well as complex multidistrict litigation matters for large pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers and other clients. He also provided antitrust counseling, Hart-Scott-Rodino Act merger reviews and FTC regulatory reviews. 

Shawn’s pro bono practice focuses on representing indigent individuals in landlord-tenant disputes and assisting people seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status or asylum. Shawn also is intimately involved in the pro bono representation of individuals and families affected by domestic violence, and he serves as a junior board member for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project.