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Posted October 15th, 2020. Courtesy of Sanford Heisler Sharp is a trusted plaintiff labor and employment firm that is recognized for representing employees in individual matters and class actions related to employment and gender discrimination, wage and hour violations, complex civil litigation, criminal/sexual violence litigation, ERISA litigation, and governmental fraud recovery. The firm, founded in 2004 and home to offices scattered across the US, is described as “ahead of the curve” by a peer, who adds, “They [have] very, very sharp lawyers [and] very skilled litigators.” The firm was the recipient of the Labor and Employment Employee-Side Firm of the Year award at the 2020 Benchmark Awards. Name partner Kevin Sharp returned to private practice after serving as a judge for the Middle District of Tennessee. He currently serves as the managing partner of the firm’s Nashville office where he is presently lead counsel in the General Electric ERISA class action in which the plaintiffs assert GE violated the Federal Employee Retirement Security Act by breaching their fiduciary duties and engaging in prohibited transactions and unlawful self-dealing detrimental to the named plaintiffs and the class. Judge Sharp is also lead counsel for plaintiffs who seek injunctive relief to correct alleged […]

We write in response to the recent verdict in the case Ravina vs Columbia. The unanimous jury vote was that Professor Bekaert, a full professor at Columbia University, is liable for retaliation against Enrichetta Ravina, a former assistant professor at Columbia who accused Bekaert of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. A federal court in New York ordered Professor Bekaert to pay compensatory and punitive damages. Evidence presented during the trial is disturbing. This evidence indicated that Professor Bekaert sent disparaging emails to colleagues in the profession and attempted to undermine Professor Ravina’s access to data. Links to the trial documentation can be found here. To our knowledge, this is the first such legal case of its kind in our field, and there are likely to be more. The American Finance Association recently established a code of professional conduct and ethics. As this case unfolds, we argue that there is special exigency for the AFA to review this code and ensure that it has the gravitas appropriate of a formal set of guidelines, and to take some explicit and immediate action. We strongly suggest that the AFA widely promulgate the substance of its code of professional conduct and ethics, as it […]

Posted June 18th, 2018. By: Edward D. Chapin and Charles H. FieldColumn Editor: Benjamin Coughlan In January 2018, a three-person FINRA arbitration panel awarded almost $2.2 million to a local San Diegan on claims that a local brokerage firm and its stockbroker had recommended an imprudent investment strategy, churned the account, and committed fraud. The award in Donna Gambee v. David Lloyd Barber, Madison Avenue Securities, LLC, FINRA Case #16-01450 (Jan. 5, 2018) was noteworthy not only because the size of the award, but because the amount included out-of-pocket damages, market-adjusted damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs. This panel heard the evidence and said no to “let’s blame the victim.” Click here to read the rest of the article.

The City of Winchester may join Alexandria and Dickenson County as another Virginia locality suing the pharmaceutical industry for its alleged role in creating a nationwide opioid epidemic. This is after a council meeting Tuesday, during which a representative from the New York based law firm explained the case his firm and two others are making. associate Andrew Miller outlined the alleged offenses; they include drug manufacturers lying about the effectiveness of their pain medicine as well as their addiction risks, drug distributors failing to properly track large pharmaceutical sales, and pharmacy managers being incentivized by opioid manufacturers to sell more. So far, the three firms have launched a $100 million lawsuit on behalf of Alexandria and a $30 million lawsuit on behalf of Dickenson County; Miller claimed Tuesday that 15 other localities are considering joining as well. After Mayor David Smith expressed reservations about simply targeting companies for the chance of big money, partner Kevin Sharp volunteered to conduct a comprehensive test of narcotics’ financial impact on the city, and use it to suggest a specific dollar amount for a potential lawsuit. After private discussion, the council voted unanimously to approve this study, taking its first step towards possible […]

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Feinstein Doyle Payne and Kravec LLC and Sanford Heisler, LLP have revealed that more than 400 women had already reached out with discrimination claims relating to the $250 million women discrimination class action lawsuit against Merck and Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). Both former and current female employees still have three weeks to file their claims and join the class action, which is represented by David Sanford, Sanford Heisler Chairman, Andrew Melzer, Russell Kornblith, Sanford Heisler Senior Litigation Counsel, David Tracey, and Deborah Marcuse. Class Action Lawsuit The class action lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giant is made purusant to the Equal Pay Act and when approved, and the Civil Rights Act Title VII as well. Kornblith emphasized that gender-biased pay treatment violates civil rights, though since wages are mutually agreed upon on an individual basis, it is unclear how Merck could have systematically discriminated against a gender. It is also unclear why women chose to work at Merck at all in the first place if they are being discriminated against because of their gender. By ordering the plaintiffs to send out notices in April, the US District Court for the District of New Jersey (NJ) encouraged all female sales representatives suffering from the supposed pay […]

Posted February 24th, 2016. Dora Pope | 24 February, 2016, 11:25 The deal with prosecutors came together on Thursday night, Woodfox’s attorney said. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court, however, overturned Brady’s ruling and set the stage for Friday’s third trial. Wallace died in 2013 just days after he was released. He was released from prison in 2001 after 29 years. Woodfox’s attorneys – who said that no forensic evidence links Woodfox or Wallace to the killing and that officials had plied inmates with incentives to testify – said the remaining witnesses in the case were all dead. She died while he was in prison, and Woodfox said he was not allowed to go to the funeral. “They were targeted for organizing against segregation, inhumane working conditions and the systemic rape and sexual slavery inflicted on many imprisoned at Angola”. Lastly, I thank William Sothern, Rob McDuff and my lawyers at Squire Patton Boggs and Sanford Heisler Kimpel for never giving up. He said “although (he) was looking forward to proving (his) innocence at a new trial, concerns about (his) health…age, (and ability to survive), caused (him) to resolve this case now” by accepting a plea bargain. “I hope the events […]

A United States prisoner who spent four decades in solitary confinement has been released from jail. Brent Miller, a guard at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, was killed in 1972. He was released on Friday – his 69th birthday – after pleading “no contest” to manslaughter. He and two other men became known as “Angola Three”, a group that was the focus of worldwide efforts rallying against their solitary confinement and the conditions of their imprisonment. In a press release earlier on Friday, Woodfox thanked his brother and other supporters who have lobbied over the years for his release. Woodfox was convicted twice of murdering Miller, with both decisions being overturned due to inadequate legal representation and racial discrimination during grand jury selection. King was released from prison in 2001 and Wallace was set free in 2013 after it was learned that he had terminal liver cancer. Prosecutors had sought to try him a third time, but his release was ordered by a federal judge last June. “I hope the events of today will bring closure to many”. The terms of the plea agreement included a 42-year prison sentence for Woodfox – and since he has already served longer than that sentence […]

In front of a lot of unstable factors in the international economy, China’s next step will be going? (USF) University of San Francisco School of Business held yesterday afternoon, “China’s new investment strategy forum”, invited the business community and economic experts to answer this question. Forum invited experts, including Chinese consulate in San Francisco Commercial Counsellor summer Cheung, a retired professor at the Wharton School of Miami (Marshall Meyer), a senior financial investment adviser division of its Adams (Tom Kochis), the law firm Sanford Heisler Kimpel adviser Field ( Charles Field) and large-scale human resources and technology management company CDP founder Wang Wei (Wayne Wang). For the “Chinese Way?” The big question, all experts answer ── “I do not know.” But each have contributed their own analysis of the issue. Forum hosted by the School of Management, University of San Francisco professor Dr. Yang Xiaohua. Professor Yang for the title of China’s economic emergence of the latest Ask the Experts, these topics include along the way, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the latest of China Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to the US stock market crash and the like. Commercial counselor of the Chinese Consulate Xia Xiang believes that China’s economic growth […]