David Sanford

David Sanford

Chairman of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
  • Employment Law
  • District of Columbia, Maryland, New York
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Biography

David Sanford is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, a national law firm with offices in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Tennessee, and Maryland. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and B.A. from Vassar College. David has recovered more than one billion dollars for individual clients and the United States government since 2004.

David represents C-suite executives and non-managerial hourly employees throughout the US. He has served as lead counsel in more than 50 class actions and numerous qui tam cases around the country and represented more than 100 general counsel and attorneys (in-house and outside counsel) in contract disputes, employment matters, and severance packages.

David was inducted into the National Law Journal’s “Elite Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame” and named among the top 100 trial lawyers in America by the National Trial Lawyers. He is recognized as a “Top Employment Lawyer” by American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel and the National Law Journal; and rated “Band One” by Chambers. Recognized by Law360 as an “Employment Lawyer MVP” and as a “Titan of the Plaintiffs’ Bar,” David has also been selected as a “Super Lawyer” in both Washington, DC and New York. Since 2006, he has been AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given to an attorney by judges and attorneys nationwide.

He sits on the Board of the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and on the Board of Corps Africa. David is a member of the advisory board of the Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion, and Resources, a non-profit focused on increasing diversity in the plaintiffs’ employment bar and raising public consciousness about workers’ rights; is on the advisory board of Aernos; and is an advisory forum member of the Stanford University Center on the Legal Profession.

Practice Area
Employment Law
Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
Additional Practice Areas
  • Public Interest Litigation
  • Whistleblower and Qui Tam
  • Financial Services Litigation
  • Criminal/Sexual Violence
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
District of Columbia
District of Columbia Bar
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Maryland
Maryland Court of Appeals
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New York
New York State Office of Court Administration
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1st Circuit
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2nd Circuit
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7th Circuit
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D.C. Circuit
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U.S. Supreme Court
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Board of Directors Member
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Current
Member
Board of Corps Africa
Current
Board of Directors Member
The Center for WorkLife Law
Current
Advisory Board Member
Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources
Current
Education
Stanford University
J.D. (1995)
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University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
A.B.D. (1985)
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Logo
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
M.A. (1984)
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Logo
Vassar College
B.A. (1980)
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Awards
Labor & Employment Star
Benchmark Litigation
Recognized for work in the field of “Employment Law - Individuals”
Best Lawyers in America
Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar
Law360
Attorney of the Year Finalist
The American Lawyer
Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year
Benchmark Litigation
Labor & Employment Star
Benchmark Litigation
Employment MVP
Law360
DC Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2015 Inductee
Elite Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame
Employment MVP
Law360
DC Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
NY Metro Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
Employment MVP
Law360
Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar
Law360
AV Rating
Martindale-Hubbell
Top 10 Wage & Hour Trial Lawyers
National Trial Lawyers
Top Rated Employment Lawyer
American Lawyer
Top Rated Employment Lawyer
Corporate Counsel
Employment Advisory Board
Law360
Top Rated Employment Lawyer
National Law Journal
Professional Associations
National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
Member
Current
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Publications
Articles & Publications
COVID-19 and the US Legal Profession
Chambers and Partners
Websites & Blogs
Website
Law Firm Website
Blog
Working for Justice
Contact & Map
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
1350 Avenue of the Americas
31st Floor
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: (646) 402-5650
Fax: (646) 402-5651
Monday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
700 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20003
Telephone: (202) 499-5200
Fax: (202) 499-5199
Monday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
111 S. Calvert Street
Suite 1950
Baltimore, MD 21202
Telephone: (410) 834-7420
Fax: (410) 834-7425
Monday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
611 Commerce Street
Suite 3100
Nashville, TN 37203
Telephone: (615) 434-7000
Fax: (615) 434-7020
Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
111 Sutter Street
Suite 975
San Francisco, CA 94104
Telephone: (415) 795-2020
Fax: (415) 795-2021
Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
655 West Broadway
Suite 1700
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: (619) 577-4253
Fax: (619) 577-4250
Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed