Russell Kornblith

Russell Kornblith is a Partner and the General Counsel of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight. He practices both employment law and whistleblower law, representing individuals and classes in a wide range of disputes. He has represented plaintiffs in cases alleging unlawful terminations, unlawful denials of promotions, unequal pay, and hostile work environments, related to race, gender, pregnancy, and disability. He has also represented sexual assault survivors seeking justice. In addition, Russell represents whistleblowers alleging fraud against the U.S. government under the False Claims Act as well as classes alleging violations of ERISA.

Updated Oct 2025

• Won a $7.4 million verdict against a condominium association and its service provider for refusing to provide the reasonable accommodation of an assigned accessible parking space, a professor who drives a modified accessible van.

• Won a preliminary injunction ordering reinstatement of the Chief People Officer of a technology company, after company terminated her employment in alleged retaliation for complaining of unlawful conduct.

• Obtained a $22.865 million customs fraud settlement for the misclassification of vitamin imports in violation of U.S. tariff laws and the False Claims Act on behalf of a qui tam relator.

• Defeated motion to dismiss qui tam relator's False Claims Act lawsuit alleging avoidance of customs duties owed for failing to mark imported jewelry with its country of origin.

• Defeated motion to dismiss Title IX lawsuit against Harvard University on behalf of three graduate students in the university's Anthropology Department.

• Class action
• Labor and employment
• Plaintiff
• Trade and customs
• False Claims Act and ERISA

• Banking
• Consumer goods and services
• Financial services
• Government and public policy
• Healthcare
• Investment management
• Pharmaceutical and life sciences
• Technology and telecommunications

• JD cum laude - Harvard University - 2012
• BA magna cum laude - Amherst College - 2006
• Exchange Fellow - l’École Normale Supérieure - 2006-07

• NELA/NY
• The Anti-Fraud Coalition

• California - 2013
• New York - 2015
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit - 2016
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - 2015
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - 2014
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - 2019
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California - 2016
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York - 2016
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York - 2016
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - 2021
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee - 2014
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - 2025