Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight Adds Former DOJ Civil Rights Trial Attorney Emily Given as Partner in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, a national public interest law firm, announced today that Emily Given, a veteran litigator with a decade of experience in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, has joined the firm as a Partner in its Washington, D.C. office.

Given will represent individuals in complex litigation and mediation matters, with a particular focus on employment discrimination, workplace civil rights and other high-stakes employment disputes.

“Emily is an outstanding litigator whose experience is directly aligned with the work we do on behalf of employees and individuals facing powerful institutions,” said David Sanford, Chairman and Co-Founder of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight. “She has spent her career handling sophisticated civil rights cases, developing cases from investigation through trial and resolution. We are delighted to welcome her to the firm.”

Given joins Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight following a federal judicial clerkship with the Honorable James K. Bredar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Before her clerkship, she spent nearly 10 years as a Trial Attorney in the Employment Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where she represented the United States in complex, high-impact employment discrimination cases in federal court.

At DOJ, Given litigated matters involving hostile work environments, discriminatory hiring practices, and unequal pay. Her courtroom experience includes second-chairing a six-day federal jury trial, delivering an opening statement, examining witnesses, and arguing motions, and she has handled cases at all stages of the litigation lifecycle, taking and defending fact and expert depositions, and drafting dispositive and other significant motions.

She also negotiated significant settlements, including two of the Employment Litigation Section’s largest per-claimant recoveries in disparate-impact cases, and structured and enforced consent decrees involving seven-figure settlement funds and changes to employment practices.

“I was drawn to Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight because of the firm’s commitment to taking on consequential cases and achieving meaningful results for individuals in the workplace and beyond,” Given said. “I am excited to bring my litigation and mediation experience to a team with such a strong record of advocacy and to help clients navigate difficult, high-stakes disputes.”

Earlier in her career, Given worked at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and with organizations and firms handling employment, wage-and-hour and civil rights matters.

Given earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the UCLA Law Review. She holds an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Philosophy, summa cum laude, from Colby College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Before attending law school, she taught philosophy at the University of North Carolina.

ABOUT SANFORD HEISLER SHARP
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight is a public interest and civil rights law firm with offices in New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Nashville, and San Diego. The firm focuses on executive representation, wrongful termination, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wage theft and overtime violations, whistleblower and qui tam, sexual violence, Title IX violations and victims’ rights, financial mismanagement and ERISA litigation, and Asian American litigation and finance matters. Our lawyers have recovered over $5 billion for our clients through many verdicts and settlements.

In 2024, Forbes named Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight Chairman and Co-Founder David Sanford to its inaugural list of America’s Top 200 Lawyers. The National Law Journal has selected Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight as Civil Rights Firm of the Year, and it has recognized the firm as both Employment Rights Firm of the Year and Human Rights Firm of the Year. Benchmark Litigation has named the firm Labor & Employment Firm of the Year, and Law360 has recognized the firm as Employment Practice Group of the Year.

For the latest news about Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, visit the firm’s newsroom or follow the firm on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you have potential legal claims and are seeking counsel, please call 646-768-7070 or email david.sanford@sanfordheisler.com. Attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight would like to have the opportunity to help you.

Media Contact: Jamie Moss, newsPRos, at 201-788-0142 or Jamie@newspros.com.