Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight is a nationwide civil rights and social justice litigation law firm that holds corporations and institutions accountable. The firm opened its San Francisco office in 2011 and expanded its presence in Northern California in 2022 by opening an office in Palo Alto, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight has since become the go-to national plaintiffs’ civil rights and public interest litigation law firm in the cradle of the tech industry. Since establishing our presence in California, our Palo Alto and San Francisco offices have secured hundreds of millions of dollars through individual and class action litigation and pre-suit negotiation of cases involving workplace discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower claims, financial mismanagement, and breach of contract, among other matters.
Legal Support for Silicon Valley Workers in Employment Matters
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight's Palo Alto attorneys zealously advocate for the diverse Silicon Valley workforce every day. We negotiate and litigate for fair pay and equal opportunities for all, and the right to perform one’s job free of discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, caste, age, pregnancy, or disability. This ethos guides our attorneys in representing executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, and the working class.
The firm excels at analyzing employment cases from every angle and uncovering systemic and deeper legal issues, such as 401(k) mismanagement, whistleblower claims, and other violations of workers’ employment rights and civil rights.
Uniquely Qualified to Represent Silicon Valley Tech Employees
Over half of the Silicon Valley workforce identifies as AANHPI. A similar diversity among our attorneys and staff enables us to represent the AANHPI community in ways that other law firms cannot. Palo Alto Managing Partner Qiaojing Ella Zheng founded the firm’s Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice Group in 2019, making Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight the first and only national civil rights and public interest litigation firm with a practice group dedicated to representing members from the AANHPI community around the country. Under Ella’s leadership, our Asian American Litigation and Finance practice was designed to fill a significant gap and meet the increasing demand for legal representation in underrepresented communities.
Ella’s team not only amplifies the voices of Silicon Valley’s large AAPI community, but has also secured significant monetary awards for both individuals and large groups of workers while driving systemic changes in the workplace across industries.
Many of our clients value working with a team that can communicate in their native tongue. Members of the Palo Alto team come from diverse cultural backgrounds and are fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and Farsi. Their unique qualifications enable them to overcome the language barriers and cultural differences that often prevent non-native speakers from securing the comprehensive legal representation they need and deserve in the United States.
Accomplished Whistleblower Representation
In addition to our proven success in employment matters, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight specializes in representing whistleblowers, particularly those in the high-stakes tech industry in Silicon Valley and around the world. The firm has a specialized acumen for whistleblower cases involving various types and patterns of fraud across sectors – from digital advertising to cryptocurrency, from data security to customs fraud, from fraudulent activities involving Fortune 100 companies to those committed by emerging companies and start-ups in Silicon Valley. With our vast, in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and highly complex algorithms, we have extensive experience working with whistleblowers to uncover fraudulent schemes and corporate misconduct that jeopardize the interests of the United States government and taxpayers.
Our seasoned qui tam attorneys collaborate closely with federal and state government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Treasury (USDT), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This collaboration extends through all stages of investigations and litigation as we tirelessly pursue our clients’ fraud claims while protecting their interests and safeguarding their identities.
A Legal Practice That Stands Apart, Locally, Nationally and Internationally
Our Palo Alto office reflects the vibrant diversity of the community we serve. The majority of our team are women of color. This unique advantage, combined with the firm’s national presence and reputation, puts our Silicon Valley practice in a league of its own.
As in our five other offices across the U.S., Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight is proud to be dedicated to social justice and civil rights for employees, whistleblowers, and executives. All of our attorneys work collaboratively and across practice areas to channel the full weight of the firm’s resources and experience into every case.