Civil Rights Firm Sanford Heisler Names New Managing Partner

New York social justice law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp announced David Tracey will be its new managing partner, working alongside firm chairman David Sanford and co-vice chairmen Jeremy Heisler and Kevin Sharp.

He will assist the founding partners “to establish firm-wide policies and office culture,” Tracey said in an interview. He will continue in his role as co-chair of the firm’s public interest litigation practice group and be based in New York. He replaces Deborah Marcuse, who left the firm in December 2023.

Tracey is co-counsel on a proposed class action against State Farm on a case alleging the insurer used discriminatory algorithms to automate claims processing that cast unfair fraud suspicion against Black Americans. Tracey expects the firm to pick up more work related to the use of algorithms, tech automation and artificial intelligence by corporations.

“There are a lot of reasons AI should be viewed with caution and vigilance,” Tracey said.

Sanford Heisler has tousled with Big Law firms Morrison Foerster, Ogletree and Proskauer Rose, with clients alleging gender discrimination. Along with workplace matters, the firm specializes in whistleblower cases, Title IX cases, and financial services cases on behalf of investors. Tracey said the firm’s work is connected to promoting civil rights, workers’ rights, and workplace accountability.

“That’s where my passion lies,” Tracey said.

The firm also named Thiru Vignarajah as the new managing partner of its Baltimore office on Jan. 8. Sanford Heisler has offices nationwide including in Palo Alto, Nashville and San Francisco, comprised of 65 attorneys and 25 partners, according to its website.