David Sanford

Driven by his commitment toward representing clients against powerful entities, David Sanford co-founded Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, a well-known law firm with a presence in the states of New York, California, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia. He is the chairman of the firm and offers top-quality services to clients in the areas of:Employment lawEmployment discriminationSexual harassmentWhistleblower rightsWomen’s rightsWorkers’ rightsCivil litigationERISA class actionsWrongful terminationMedicare and Medicaid FraudWage and hour lawMr. Sanford graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Vassar College in 1980 and his master’s degree in philosophy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984. He then went to Stanford Law School to earn his Juris Doctor in 1995. He briefly worked as a clerk for Honorable Judge Gladys Kessler of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He has been admitted to the state bars of New York, Maryland and the District of Columbia.Mr. Sanford is allowed to represent his clients in the Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 1st, 2nd and 7th Circuits; the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland; the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida; the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois; and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.Protecting his clients’ rights with utmost integrity, Mr. Sanford provides his clients with a high level of comfort and support throughout the process and a professional and levelheaded representation while ensuring confidentiality. A highly accomplished attorney and an energetic advocate, his clients range from C-suite executives to non-managerial hourly employees from various industries across the nation. He has served as the lead counsel in more than 50 class actions and numerous qui tam cases around the U.S.Under Mr. Sanford’s leadership, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, has tripled in size, opened four new offices and received recognition from prominent legal media. Focusing on the clients’ welfare and the firm’s growth has garnered him many awards and recognition from various sources. In 2024, Forbes named Mr. Sanford to its first-ever America's Top 200 Lawyers list. He has been rated AV Preeminent* by Martindale-Hubbell since 2006. He has also been recognized by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Benchmark Litigation and the Corporate Counsel. He has been listed in the Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 10 Wage and Hour Trial Lawyers and Top 25 Class Action Trial Lawyers, among others.*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.