Awards & Accolades

2021 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Employment Rights Firm of the Year – Sanford Heisler Sharp

2021 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Human Rights Firm of the Year – Sanford Heisler Sharp

2021 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar – Deborah Marcuse

2021 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar – Danielle Fuschetti

Kevin Sharp was named a 2021 South Trailblazer by The American Lawyer

David Sanford - Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year

2021 Labor & Employment Employee-Side Firm of the Year

Ed Chapin was named a 2020 California Trailblazer by The Recorder

2020 Labor & Employment Employee-Side Firm of the Year

Ranked in six locations for Labor and Employment by Benchmark Litigation in 2021

David Sanford – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Jeremy Heisler – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Russell Kornblith – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Deborah K. Marcuse – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Andrew Melzer – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Michael Palmer – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Kate Mueting – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Alexandra Harwin – Labor & Employment Star, Northeast

Kevin Sharp – Labor & Employment Star, South

Ed Chapin – Labor & Employment Star, West

Felicia Gilbert – Labor & Employment Star, West

Ranked nationwide and in five locations for Labor and Employment by Benchmark Litigation in 2020

David Sanford - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Jeremy Heisler - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Kevin Sharp - Labor & Employment Star - South

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Ed Chapin - Labor & Employment Star - West

Russell Kornblith - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Deborah K. Marcuse - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Felicia Gilbert - Labor & Employment Star - West

Andrew Melzer - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Michael Palmer - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Kate Mueting - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Alexandra Harwin - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Sanford Heisler Sharp named 2019 Elite Lawyers in the categories of Employment Law and Discrimination.

Saba Bireda - 2019 DC Rising Star

Kate Mueting - 2017 DC Rising Star

National Law Journal/Legal Times – Washington, DC Employment Litigation Department of the Year

David Sanford was named a 2018 National Law Journal Plaintiffs' Lawyer Trailblazer

Ed Chapin was named a 2019 National Law Journal Employment Trailblazer

National Law Journal – 2013 Litigation Boutique Hot List

Ranked in six locations for Labor and Employment by Benchmark Litigation in 2019

David Sanford - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Jeremy Heisler - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Kevin Sharp - Labor & Employment Star - South

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Ed Chapin - Labor & Employment Star - West

Russell Kornblith - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Deborah K. Marcuse - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Andrew Melzer - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Michael Palmer - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Kate Mueting - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Alexandra Harwin - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Ranked in four locations for Labor and Employment by Benchmark Litigation in 2018

David Sanford - Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year

Jeremy Heisler - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Kevin Sharp - Labor & Employment Star - South

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Ed Chapin - Labor & Employment Star - West

Russell Kornblith - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Deborah K. Marcuse - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Andrew Melzer - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Kate Mueting - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

Alexandra Harwin - Labor & Employment Star - Northeast

2021, 2019, 2018 & 2016 Employment Practice Group of the Year. 

Notice of Data Event

2018 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar - David Sanford

2014 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar - David Sanford

2021 Law360 MVP - H. Vincent McKnight Jr.

2019 Law360 MVP - Deborah K. Marcuse

2018 Law360 MVP - David Sanford

2022 Law360 Rising Star - Qiaojing Ella Zheng

2021 Employment Practice Group of the Year

2020 Law360 Rising Star - Russell Kornblith

2019 Employment Practice Group of the Year

2018 Employment Practice Group of the Year

2016 Employment Practice Group of the Year

2019 Law360 Rising Star - Kate Mueting

2017 Law360 Rising Star - Alexandra Harwin

2016 - No. 17 Best Law Firm for Minority Attorneys

2016 - No. 18 Best Law Firm for Female Partners

2016 - No. 56 Best Law Firm for Female Attorneys

U.S. News & World Report ranked Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP nationally for its Employment Law practice. It also ranked the firm in 8 metro ranking categories, including a Tier 1 ranking in San Diego for its Personal Injury Litigation and in San Francisco for its Employment Law practice.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP nationally for its ERISA Litigation practice. It also ranked the firm in 8 metro ranking categories, including a Tier 1 ranking in San Francisco for its Employment Law practice as well as recognition in Nashville for its Employment Law practice, San Diego for its Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation practices, and Washington, DC for its Employment Law, Commercial Litigation, and ERISA Litigation practices.

Ranked for its Employment Law practice in San Francisco; for its Commercial Litigation practice in San Diego; and for its Commercial Litigation practice in Washington, DC.

Ranked for its Employment Law practice in San Francisco; for its Commercial Litigation practice in San Diego; and for its Commercial Litigation practice in Washington, DC.

Ranked for its Employment Law practice in San Francisco; for its Commercial Litigation practice in San Diego; and for its Commercial Litigation practice in Washington, DC.

Ranked for its Employment Law practice in San Francisco; for its Commercial Litigation practice in San Diego; and for its Commercial Litigation practice in Washington, DC.

Ranked for its Employment Law practice in San Francisco; for its Commercial Litigation practice in San Diego; and for its Commercial Litigation practice in Washington, DC.

US News Best Lawyers National Tier 1 Employment Firm, San Francisco

The following attorneys were named to the 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers list:

Saba Bireda 

Ed Chapin 

Christine Dunn 

Charles Field 

Felicia Gilbert 

Alexandra Harwin 

Jeremy Heisler

Steve Kelly 

Russell Kornblith 

Deborah Marcuse 

H. Vincent McKnight

John McKnight

Andrew Melzer 

Kate Mueting 

Michael A. Palmer 

David Sanford 

Kevin Sharp

The following attorneys were named to the 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers list:

David Sanford

Jeremy Heisler

Kevin Sharp

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. 

Ed Chapin

Russell Kornblith

Deborah K. Marcuse

Felicia Gilbert

Andrew Melzer

Michael Palmer

Kate Mueting

Charles Field

Alexandra Harwin

Steve Kelly

Saba Bireda

John McKnight

Christine Dunn

The following attorneys were named to the 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers list:

David Sanford

Jeremy Heisler

Kevin Sharp

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. 

Ed Chapin

Russell Kornblith

Deborah K. Marcuse

Andrew Melzer

Michael Palmer

Kate Mueting

Saba Bireda

David Sanford, Jeremy Heisler, H. Vincent McKnight Jr., and Deborah K. Marcuse were selected for the 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers list

David Sanford was named as one of the 2018 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers

David Sanford – DC and New York Metro Super Lawyer

Jeremy Heisler – New York Metro Super Lawyer

Kevin Sharp – Mid-South Super Lawyer

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. – DC Super Lawyer

Ed Chapin – San Diego Super Lawyer; One of the Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers for 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018

Deborah K. Marcuse – Maryland Rising Star Super Lawyer

Russell Kornblith – New York Metro Rising Star Super Lawyer

Andrew Melzer – New York Metro Super Lawyer

Michael Palmer – New York Metro Super Lawyer

Kate Mueting – DC Rising Star Super Lawyer

Alexandra Harwin – New York Metro Rising Star Super Lawyer

Steven J. Kelly – Maryland Super Lawyer

Leigh Anne St. Charles – Mid-South Rising Star Super Lawyer

Danielle Fuschetti – Northern California Rising Star Super Lawyer

Qiaojing Ella Zheng – Northern California Rising Star Super Lawyer

AV Preeminent Rating Martindale-Hubbell

2018 American Lawyer Attorney of the Year Finalist - David Sanford

Alexandra Harwin recognized as one of 40 top young lawyers nationwide in Bloomberg Law’s 2021 edition of “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40.”

David Sanford and Deborah H. Marcuse are Fellows of the American Bar Foundation

Kevin Sharp was named the 2019 Attorney for Justice by the Tennessee Supreme Court

David Sanford, H. Vince McKnight Jr., and Thomas J. Henderson named 2019 Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyers

David Sanford, H. Vince McKnight Jr., and Thomas J. Henderson named 2018 Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyers

Ranked in USA by Chambers and Partners in 2020

David Sanford ranked as a Chambers USA 2020 Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation

Ranked in USA by Chambers and Partners in 2019

David Sanford ranked as a Chambers USA 2019 Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation

Ranked in USA by Chambers and Partners in 2018

David Sanford ranked as a Chambers USA 2018 Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation

Ranked in USA by Chambers and Partners in 2017

David Sanford ranked as a Chambers USA 2017 Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation

Ranked in USA by Chambers and Partners in 2016

Of Counsel Johan Conrod named a 2019 Legal Elite in the category of appellate law by the Virginia Business magazine.

American Lawyer- Top Rated Employment Lawyers

Corporate Counsel- Top Rated Employment Lawyers

National Law Journal- Top Rated Employment Lawyers

Christine Dunn – 2022 Women Worth Watching Award Recipient

Melinda Koster – 2022 Women Worth Watching Award Recipient

2019 Women Worth Watching

Saba Bireda a recipient of the 2019 Women Worth Watching Award by the Profiles in Diversity Journal.

50 Best Companies to Watch 2020

Sanford Heisler Sharp was named one of the 50 best companies to watch in 2020 by Silicon Review.

David Sanford was named a 2018 Lawyer of Distinction

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. was named a 2019 Lawyer of Distinction

Deborah K. Marcuse was named a 2020 Lawyer of Distinction

Christine Dunn was named a 2022 Lawyer of Distinction 

Named the 8th top class action settlement in California in 2017 by TopVerdict.com for the Google wage and hour class action settlement

Named the 28th top labor & employment verdict in the United States in 2019 by TopVerdict.com for the Beth Burns wrongful termination lawsuit

Named the 12th top settlement in California in 2016 by TopVerdict.com for the Qualcomm gender discrimination class action

Named the 91st top verdict in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.com for the Beth Burns wrongful termination lawsuit

Named the 62nd top civil rights violation verdict in the United States in 2018 by TopVerdict.com for the Ravina vs. Columbia University, et al.

San Diego Attorney Journal, February 2016

David Sanford - Top 10 Wage & Hour Trial Lawyers

David Sanford – Top 25 Class Action Trial Lawyers

Alexandra Harwin – Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers in New York

Qiaojing Ella Zheng – Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in California

Kevin Sharp - The National Trial Lawyers Top 100

Deborah K. Marcuse - The National Trial Lawyers Civil Plaintiff Top 100

H. Vincent McKnight Jr. 

Kate Mueting

David Sanford

David Sanford

David Sanford

Sanford Heisler Sharp - 2022 Best Lawyers

Leigh Anne St. Charles

David Sanford

Deborah Marcuse

Vince McKnight was named a 2022 Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer by the National Law Journal

Deborah Marcuse was named a 2021 Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer by the National Law Journal

Felicia Gilbert

Deborah Marcuse – Leadership in Law

Steve Kelly – Justice Champion

Qiaojing Ella Zheng

Leigh Anne St. Charles

Qiaojing Ella Zheng

2022 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Civil Rights Firm of the Year – Sanford Heisler Sharp

2022 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar – Qiaojing Ella Zheng