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

2022 National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers
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

2021 Benchmark Litigation – David Sanford

2021 Labor & Employment Firm of the Year – Benchmark Litigation

2020 California Trailblazers

2020 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Firm of the Year

2021 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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

2020 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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

2019 National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers

The National Law Journal
Kate Mueting – 2017 DC Rising Star

Employment Litigation Department of the Year

2018 National Law Journal Trailblazers
Ed Chapin was named a 2019 National Law Journal Employment Trailblazer

2013 Litigation Boutique Hot List

2019 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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

2018 Benchmark Litigation – Labor & Employment Star
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 – Law 360

Law360 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar
2014 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – David Sanford

Law360 MVP
2019 Law360 MVP – Deborah K. Marcuse
2018 Law360 MVP – David Sanford

Law360 Recognitions
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
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.
Jill Sullivan Sanford has been recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America 2023 for work in Qui Tam Law and Commercial Litigation. She has been recognized since 2014 for her work in Employment Law – Individuals.
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 Ann 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.

2021 Best Law Firms

2020 Best Law Firms

2019 Best Law Firms

2018 Best Law Firms

2017 Best Law Firms

2016 Best Law Firms

2015 Best Law Firms

2022 Lawdragon 500
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

2021 Lawdragon 500
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

2020 Lawdragon 500
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

2019 Lawdragon 500

2018 Lawdragon 500

Super Lawyers
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 Rated
AV Preeminent Rating Martindale-Hubbell

The 2018 American Lawyer Industry Awards

Bloomberg Law

American Bar Foundation

2019 Attorney for Justice

2019 Legal Leaders

2018 Legal Leaders

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

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

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

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

2016 Chambers & Partners

2019 Virginia Business Legal Elite

Top Rated Lawyers
Corporate Counsel- Top Rated Employment Lawyers
National Law Journal- Top Rated Employment Lawyers

2022 Women Worth Watching
Melinda Koster – 2022 Women Worth Watching Award Recipient

Profiles in Diversity Journal – Woman 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
Sanford Heisler Sharp was named one of the 50 best companies to watch in 2020 by Silicon Review.

Lawyers 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

2017 Top 10 Settlements

2019 Top 50 Jury Verdicts

2016 Top 50 Jury Verdicts

2019 Top 100 Jury Verdicts

2018 Top 100 Jury Verdicts

San Diego Attorney Journal – Law Firm of the Month

NTLA Top 10 Trial Lawyers – Wage and Hour

NTLA Top 25 Trial Lawyers – Class Action

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

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

2022 Washingtonian’s Faces of Employment Discrimination
Kate Mueting

2020 Washingtonian – Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs

2019 Washingtonian – Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs

2018 Washingtonian – Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs

2022 Best Lawyers

2022 Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch

2021 Benchmark Inaugural Top 20 Labor and Employment Litigators List
Deborah Marcuse

2022 The National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazers

2021 The National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazers

2022 Latino Leaders Worth Watching

2022 Maryland Daily Record and Maryland State Bar Association Leader in Law Honoree
Steve Kelly – Justice Champion

2022 Asian Leaders Worth Watching

2022 Business Insider Rising Star

2022 Daily Journal Top Labor & Employment Lawyers

2022 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Civil Rights Firm of the Year
2022 Elite Trial Lawyers’ Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar – Qiaojing Ella Zheng