Awards & Accolades
During David Sanford’s tenure as Chairman of Sanford Heisler Sharp the firm has tripled in size, opened four new offices, and been recognized by prominent legal media. Most recently, the firm’s recognition has included Benchmark Litigation’s 2021 Labor & Employment Employee-Side Firm of the Year and the National Law Journal naming the firm as both Employee Rights Firm of the Year and Human Rights Firm of the Year for 2021. David was also named 2021 Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year by Benchmark Litigation.
Recognized as Law Firm of the Year
A Highly Awarded Law Firm in Employment Law and Human Rights
Employment Rights Firm of the Year 2021
Human Rights Firm of the Year 2021
2021 & 2020
2021, 2019, 2018 & 2016
Search By Award
2023 Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Women of Influence
2023 Recipient of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Women of Influence – Qiaojing Ella Zheng
2022 National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers
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
2021 National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers
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
2021 South Trailblazers
Kevin Sharp was named a 2021 South Trailblazer by The American Lawyer
2021 Benchmark Litigation – David Sanford
David Sanford – Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year
2021 Labor & Employment Firm of the Year – Benchmark Litigation
2021 Labor & Employment Employee-Side Firm of the Year
2020 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Firm of the Year
2020 Labor & Employment Employee-Side Firm of the Year
2021 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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
Felicia Gilbert – Labor & Employment Star, West
2020 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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
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
2019 National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers
Sanford Heisler Sharp named 2019 Elite Lawyers in the categories of Employment Law and Discrimination.
The National Law Journal
Saba Bireda – 2019 DC Rising Star
Kate Mueting – 2017 DC Rising Star
Employment Litigation Department of the Year
National Law Journal/Legal Times – Washington, DC Employment Litigation Department of the Year
2018 National Law Journal Trailblazers
David Sanford was named a 2018 National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer
2013 Litigation Boutique Hot List
National Law Journal – 2013 Litigation Boutique Hot List
2019 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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
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
2018 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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
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 – Law 360
2021, 2019, 2018 & 2016 Employment Practice Group of the Year.
Law360 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar
2018 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – David Sanford
2014 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – David Sanford
Law360 MVP
2021 Law360 MVP – H. Vincent McKnight Jr.
2019 Law360 MVP – Deborah K. Marcuse
2018 Law360 MVP – David Sanford
Law360 Recognitions
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
2023 Best Law Firms
U.S. News & World Report ranked Sanford Heisler Sharp 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.
2021 Best Law Firms
U.S. News & World Report ranked Sanford Heisler Sharp 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.
2020 Best Law Firms
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.
2019 Best Law Firms
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.
2018 Best Law Firms
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.
2017 Best Law Firms
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.
2016 Best Law Firms
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.
2015 Best Law Firms
US News Best Lawyers National Tier 1 Employment Firm, San Francisco
2022 Lawdragon 500
The following attorneys were named to the 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers list:
Saba Bireda
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
2021 Lawdragon 500
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.
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
2020 Lawdragon 500
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.
Russell Kornblith
Deborah K. Marcuse
Andrew Melzer
Michael Palmer
Kate Mueting
Saba Bireda
2019 Lawdragon 500
David Sanford, Jeremy Heisler, H. Vincent McKnight Jr., and Deborah K. Marcuse were selected for the 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers list
2018 Lawdragon 500
David Sanford was named as one of the 2018 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers
Super 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
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 Rated
AV Rated
AV Preeminent Rating Martindale-Hubbell
The 2018 American Lawyer Industry Awards
2018 American Lawyer Attorney of the Year Finalist – David Sanford
Bloomberg Law
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.”
American Bar Foundation
David Sanford and Deborah H. Marcuse are Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
2019 Attorney for Justice
Kevin Sharp was named the 2019 Attorney for Justice by the Tennessee Supreme Court
2019 Legal Leaders
David Sanford, H. Vince McKnight Jr., and Thomas J. Henderson named 2019 Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyers
2018 Legal Leaders
David Sanford, H. Vince McKnight Jr., and Thomas J. Henderson named 2018 Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyers
2020 Chambers & Partners
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
2019 Chambers & Partners
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
2018 Chambers & Partners
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
2017 Chambers & Partners
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
2016 Chambers & Partners
Ranked in USA by Chambers and Partners in 2016
Top Rated Lawyers
American Lawyer- Top Rated Employment Lawyers
Corporate Counsel- Top Rated Employment Lawyers
National Law Journal- Top Rated Employment Lawyers
2022 Women Worth Watching
Christine Dunn – 2022 Women Worth Watching Award Recipient
Melinda Koster – 2022 Women Worth Watching Award Recipient
Profiles in Diversity Journal – Woman Worth Watching
2019 Women Worth Watching
Saba Bireda a recipient of the 2019 Women Worth Watching Award by the Profiles in Diversity Journal.
Silicon Review – 50 Most Trustworthy Companies
50 Best Companies to Watch 2020
Sanford Heisler Sharp was named one of the 50 best companies to watch in 2020 by Silicon Review.
2017 Top 10 Settlements
Named the 8th top class action settlement in California in 2017 by TopVerdict.com for the Google wage and hour class action settlement
2019 Top 50 Jury Verdicts
Named the 28th top labor & employment verdict in the United States in 2019 by TopVerdict.com for the Beth Burns wrongful termination lawsuit
2016 Top 50 Jury Verdicts
Named the 12th top settlement in California in 2016 by TopVerdict.com for the Qualcomm gender discrimination class action
2019 Top 100 Jury Verdicts
Named the 91st top verdict in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.com for the Beth Burns wrongful termination lawsuit
2018 Top 100 Jury Verdicts
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 – Law Firm of the Month
San Diego Attorney Journal, February 2016
NTLA Top 10 Trial Lawyers – Wage and Hour
David Sanford – Top 10 Wage & Hour Trial Lawyers
NTLA Top 25 Trial Lawyers – Class Action
David Sanford – Top 25 Class Action Trial Lawyers
NTLA Top 40 Under 40 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
NTLA Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Kevin Sharp – The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
Deborah K. Marcuse – The National Trial Lawyers Civil Plaintiff Top 100
2022 Washingtonian’s Faces of Employment Discrimination
H. Vincent McKnight Jr.
Kate Mueting
2020 Washingtonian – Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs
David Sanford
2019 Washingtonian – Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs
David Sanford
2018 Washingtonian – Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs
David Sanford
2023 Best Lawyers
Sanford Heisler Sharp – 2023 Best Lawyers
2022 Best Lawyers
Sanford Heisler Sharp – 2022 Best Lawyers
2022 Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch
Leigh Anne St. Charles
2021 Benchmark Inaugural Top 20 Labor and Employment Litigators List
David Sanford
Deborah Marcuse
2022 The National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazers
Vince McKnight was named a 2022 Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer by the National Law Journal
2021 The National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazers
Deborah Marcuse was named a 2021 Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer by the National Law Journal
2022 Latino Leaders Worth Watching
Felicia Gilbert
2022 Maryland Daily Record and Maryland State Bar Association Leader in Law Honoree
Deborah Marcuse – Leadership in Law
Steve Kelly – Justice Champion
2022 Asian Leaders Worth Watching
Qiaojing Ella Zheng
2022 Business Insider Rising Star
Leigh Anne St. Charles
2022 Daily Journal Top Labor & Employment Lawyers
Qiaojing Ella Zheng
2022 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Civil Rights Firm of the Year
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
2023 Best Lawyers
Sanford Heisler Sharp has been recognized by Best Lawyers for two distinct awards: Eight firm attorneys have received the The Best Lawyers® in America award, and two firm attorneys have received the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America award. Many of these attorneys have been recognized for these awards for several consecutive years.
David Sanford has been recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America 2023 for work in Employment Law – Individuals. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2019. He is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Sanford Heisler Sharp.
Kevin H. Sharp has been recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America 2023 for work in Employment Law – Individuals. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2008, with a focus on civil rights legal matters. He is the Co-Vice Chairman of Sanford Heisler Sharp.
H. Vincent “Vince” McKnight, Jr., has been recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America 2023 for work in Qui Tam Law and Commercial Litigation. He has been recognized since 2008 for his work in Commercial Litigation and Qui Tam Law. He is the Co-Managing Partner of the Washington, DC office and Co-Ombudsperson.
Kate Mueting has been recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America 2023 for work in Qui Tam Law and Commercial Litigation. She has been recognized since 2021 for her work in Employment Law – Individuals and Litigation – Labor and Employment. She is the Firm Administrative Partner for Sanford Heisler Sharp.
Leigh Anne St. Charles has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2023 for work in Qui Tam Law and Commercial Litigation. She has been recognized since 2021 in Labor and Employment Law – Employee matters. She is the Nashville Managing Partner of Sanford Heisler Sharp.