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David W. Sanford

Discrimination Attorney at New York, NY

5.0   1 review
Virtual consultation available
Virtual consultation available
  • State Years
    New York - NY 4 years
    Dist. of Columbia - DC 25 years
    Maryland - MD 26 years
  • Licensed for 4 years
    State NY
    Acquired 2019
    Status
    Due to Register within 30 Days of Birthday No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 25 years
    State DC
    Acquired 1998
    Status
    Good Standing No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 26 years
    State MD
    Acquired 1997
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About David

Learn David’s areas of practice.

DAVID SANFORD IS THE CHAIRMAN AND CO-FOUNDER OF SANFORD HEISLER SHARP, LLP. SINCE 2004, ATTORNEY SANFORD HAS RECOVERED MORE THAN $1 BILLION FOR INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS AND THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

David Sanford is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Sanford Heisler Sharp, 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 (ABD), and B.A. from Vassar College.

David clerked for Judge Gladys Kessler on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

David was inducted into The National Law Journal’s “Elite Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame” and selected as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in America by the National Trial Lawyers.

David was named an “Attorney of the Year Finalist” in 2018 by The American Lawyer, a “Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer” in 2018 by The National Law Journal, and the “Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year” in 2021 and 2019 by Benchmark Litigation.

David is recognized as a top employment lawyer by The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, and The National Law Journal; and he has been ranked a “Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation” by Chambers and Partners.

David has also been recognized as an “Employment MVP” and a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar” by Law360, one of the leading plaintiff employment lawyers in America by Lawdragon, and as a “Top Rated Employment & Labor Attorney” in both Washington, DC and New York by Super Lawyers.

Every year since 2006, David has been AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given to an attorney by judges and attorneys nationwide, and he has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers.

David is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

David and the attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp represent individuals in claims against corporate entities. Most cases are resolved through confidential and private mediation and before any matter is publicly filed.

David represents C-suite executives and non-managerial hourly employees throughout the United States. He has served as lead counsel in more than 50 class actions and numerous whistleblower and qui tam cases.

David has represented more than 100 general counsel and attorneys (in-house and law firm counsel) in contract disputes, employment matters, and severance negotiations.

NOTABLE SUCCESSES

David won as lead counsel the largest employment verdict in United States history, a $253 million dollar verdict on behalf of 6,000 women in Velez v. Novartis after a six-week trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He also was lead counsel in a $99 million dollar settlement against Novartis in a wage and hour class action on behalf of pharmaceutical representatives.

David has settled gender discrimination class actions with extensive class-wide relief against Daiichi Pharmaceuticals ($8.2 million), Qualcomm ($19.5 million) (named one of the top settlements in California in 2016 by ), Sanofi Pharmaceuticals ($15 million), Alcon Pharmaceuticals ($8 million), and Western Digital ($7.75 million). Other gender discrimination settlements include matters against Merck, Publicis Groupe, Forest Laboratories, and General Electric. Most matters are settled before a matter is publicly filed.

David was lead class counsel in a $14.25 million class action settlement against Rabbi Freundel and other defendants on behalf of women surreptitiously videotaped while performing a religious cleansing ritual.

David has been lead counsel for more than 100 women general counsel and partners at BigLaw firms throughout America. For example, on behalf of three women partners, he recently settled a case alleging gender discrimination and pay inequity against Chadbourne & Parke (now Norton Rose Fulbright). He also recently settled gender discrimination matters on behalf of woman partners at many AmLaw 100 firms. The vast majority of BigLaw cases have settled confidentially before a lawsuit was filed.

David was lead counsel in a $28 million wage and hour class settlement against Pac Bell, Bell South, and SNET; co-lead counsel in a $16 million race discrimination settlement against Kroger; class counsel in a $14 million settlement against Dartmouth in a Title IX and hostile environment matter; lead counsel in a $8.7 million settlement in a race discrimination class action against Cracker Barrel; and many other matters both public and private.

David was lead trial counsel for a professor at Columbia University Business School in a sexual harassment and retaliation matter, which culminated in a $1.25 million jury verdict after a three-week trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The verdict was named one of the top civil rights violation verdicts in the United States in 2018 by .

David is class counsel in ERISA matters pending against Home Depot, General Electric, Walgreens, and Allstate. He was class counsel in ERISA matters that recently settled against Eaton Vance and Transamerica.

David was co-counsel in a $762 million settlement between the United States government and Amgen. Amgen allegedly defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other governmental health care programs by promoting “off label” uses of certain prescription drugs and paying kickbacks to doctors and other health care providers.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

David has been a board member of the Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem since 2011; a board member of CorpsAfrica since 2010; an advisory board member since 2014 of the Stanford University Center on the Legal Profession; an advisory board member since 2011 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; and a member of the advisory board of AerNos.

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Contact David

Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
1350 Avenue of the Americas
31st Floor
New York, NY, 10019
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP - Washington, DC Office
700 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Suite 300
Washington, DC, 20003
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP - San Francisco Office
111 Sutter Street
Suite 975
San Francisco, CA, 94104
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP - San Diego Office
2550 Fifth Avenue, 11th Floor
San Diego, CA, 92103
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP - Nashville Office
611 Commerce Street
Suite 3100
Nashville, TN, 37203
Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP - Baltimore Office
111 S. Calvert Street
Suite 1950
Baltimore, MD, 21202
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Reviews

5.0 / 5.0
  1 customer review
5 Star
 
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Posted by anonymous | September 9, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
The outcome was beyond what I could have imagined!
David Sanford called me on Super Bowl Sunday (imagine that!) to let me know that Sanford Heisler Sharp would represent me. From start to finish, my legal team, Russell Kornblith, Ed Chapin, Adán Martinez, and Natalie Chew, demonstrated its intricate knowledge and interpretation of employment law, specifically the risks and psychology of my employer’s strategy. As the case progressed quickly and constructively, I felt understood and respected throughout each step of the journey. The outcome was beyond what I could have imagined! I thank Sanford Heisler Sharp in my heart every time I read about them in the press. Just be thankful that they are on YOUR side and not the opposing counsel!
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Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Chairman
  • Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
  • 2004 - Present

Education

  • Stanford Law School
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1995
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • ABD
  • 1985
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • MA - Masters
  • 1984
  • Vassar College
  • BA - Bachelor of Arts
  • 1980
View all education

Legal Cases

  • In re Novartis Wage & Hour Litig., S.D.N.Y.
  • $99 million settlement
  • Amy Velez, et al., v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
  • $250 million in punitive damages

Associations

  • Stanford University Center on the Legal Profession
  • Advisory Forum Member
  • 2014 - Present
  • Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
  • Board Member
  • 2011 - Present
  • Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion, and Resources
  • Advisory Board Member
  • 2011 - Present
  • Board of Corps Africa
  • Board Member
  • 2010 - Present
  • Aernos
  • Advisory Board Member
  • N/A
  • William B. Bryant Inn of Court
  • Member
  • 1996 - 2006
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Best Lawyer
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • 2022
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2021
  • Best Lawyer
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • 2021
  • Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year
  • Benchmark Litigation
  • 2021
  • Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer
  • Lawdragon
  • 2021
  • Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment
  • Chambers & Partners USA Guide
  • 2021
  • Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star
  • Benchmark Litigation
  • 2020
  • Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer
  • Lawdragon
  • 2020
  • Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs
  • Washingtonian Magazine
  • 2020
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2020
  • Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment
  • Chambers & Partners USA Guide
  • 2020
  • Best Lawyer
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • 2020
  • Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs
  • Washingtonian Magazine
  • 2019
  • Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer
  • Lawdragon
  • 2019
  • Fellow
  • American Bar Foundation
  • 2019
  • Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star
  • Benchmark Litigation
  • 2019
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2019
  • Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment
  • Chambers & Partners USA Guide
  • 2019
  • Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year
  • Benchmark Litigation
  • 2019
  • Best Lawyer
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • 2019
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2018
  • Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer
  • Lawdragon
  • 2018
  • Lawyer of Distinction
  • Lawyer of Distinction
  • 2018
  • Employment MVP
  • Law 360
  • 2018
  • Top Rated Lawyer
  • Martindale-Hubbell®
  • 2018
  • Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star
  • Benchmark Litigation
  • 2018
  • Trailblazer Plaintiffs' Lawyer
  • National Law Journal
  • 2018
  • Attorney of the Year Finalist
  • American Lawyer
  • 2018
  • Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers: Employment Plaintiffs
  • Washingtonian Magazine
  • 2018
  • Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment
  • Chambers & Partners USA Guide
  • 2018
  • Law360 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar
  • Law 360
  • 2018
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2017
  • Leader in the Field in New York for Labor & Employment
  • Chambers & Partners USA Guide
  • 2017
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2016
  • Employment MVP
  • Law 360
  • 2016
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2015
  • Elite Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame 2015 Inductee
  • National Law Journal
  • 2015
  • Employment MVP
  • Law360
  • 2015
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2014
  • Top Rated Employment Lawyer
  • National Law Journal
  • 2014
  • Titan Of The Plaintiffs Bar
  • Law 360
  • 2014
  • Employment MVP
  • Law360
  • 2014
  • Employment Advisory Board
  • Law 360
  • 2014
  • Employment MVP
  • Law 360
  • 2013
  • Top Rated Employment Lawyer
  • American Lawyer
  • 2013
  • Top Rated Employment Lawyer
  • Corporate Counsel
  • 2013
  • AV Preeminent Rated
  • Martindale-Hubbell
  • N/A
  • Top 100 Trial Lawyers
  • National Trial Lawyers Association
  • N/A
View all awards

Speaking Engagements

  • United Nations Conference
  • Women's Rights
  • 2011

Attorney endorsements

Received (17)
Given (31)
Endorse David
Employment and labor Attorney | Jan 06
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Consumer protection Attorney | Nov 16
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Nov 16
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jul 15
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jul 15
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jul 09
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Consumer protection Attorney | Jul 09
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Consumer protection Attorney | Jul 01
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"I endorse this lawyer."
Consumer protection Attorney | Jul 01
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jul 01
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jul 01
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Consumer protection Attorney | Jun 24
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jun 24
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jun 24
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jun 23
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jun 23
Relationship: Co-worker
"I endorse this lawyer."
Employment and labor Attorney | Jun 23
Relationship: Co-worker
"I endorse this lawyer."
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Employment and labor
Employment and labor
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Employment and labor
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General practice
Employment and labor
Employment and labor
Employment and labor
Employment and labor

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New York Discrimination Lawyer David W. Sanford
David W. Sanford
Discrimination Attorney
New York, NY
Licensed for 26 years
Virtual consultation available