H. Vincent McKnight, Jr.

Practice areas

Employment & Labor: Employee, Employment Litigation: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination

Vincent (Vince) McKnight serves as the Co-Managing Partner of the Washington, DC, office at Sanford Heisler Sharp, where he also holds the roles of Co-Ombudsperson and Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower & Qui Tam Practice Group. He possesses expertise in various aspects of employment law and dedicates a substantial part of his practice to handling whistleblower/qui tam claims and employment discrimination cases. Mr. McKnight leads the firm’s Whistleblower & Qui Tam Practice Group.

Mr. McKnight views whistleblowers as workplace champions and understands the challenges they face when dealing with the repercussions of their actions. With an in-depth understanding of relevant laws, he strives to shield whistleblowers from any form of retaliation. He has successfully assisted both individuals and class-action clients in securing substantial settlements and verdicts, totaling millions of dollars.

Graduating from Brown University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public policymaking, Mr. McKnight later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 1978. During his time in law school, he had the unique opportunity to try a case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as part of his clinical program. Furthermore, he served as a law clerk for Judge William C. Pryor at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the District of Columbia Superior Court.

Recognized for his exceptional achievements, Mr. McKnight has been included in the Lawdragon 500 list of Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers, as well as the Top 100 Lawyers list by The National Black Lawyers. He has earned the title of Most Valuable Player in Government Contracts by Law360 and holds an AV Preeminent* rating through Martindale-Hubbell. Additionally, he has received recognition from The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. McKnight was first licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia in 1979 and is also authorized to appear in Maryland, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd, 4th, and 7th Circuits, the federal courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Within the legal community, Mr. McKnight actively participates in and conducts panels on whistleblower laws at prestigious organizations such as the American Bar Association, Taxpayers Against Fraud, and the Federal Bar Association. His insights and perspectives on significant whistleblower issues are frequently featured in newspapers and magazines. He has previously served as a board member of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC, and currently holds a position on the board of Taxpayers Against Fraud.

*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.