Ed Chapin is the Partner in the San Diego office of Sanford Heisler Sharp. Across his illustrious legal career, he has taken more than 100 cases to trial in federal and state courts.
Ed was the lead trial counsel in the recent GirlsDoPorn.com civil lawsuit, where 22 female plaintiffs across the U.S. alleged the website’s owners, operators and associated businesses exploited them after answering modeling advertisements on Craigslist. Ed and his team obtained a $20 million plus award after a 99-day bench trial in California Superior Court. The Court also granted plaintiffs all rights to their videos and issued an injunction that the defendants are prohibited from distributing the likenesses, images or videos of the plaintiffs. Midway through the trial, three individuals involved in the GirlsDoPorn operation were indicted by a federal grand jury for sex trafficking and other charges. Two of the individuals are in custody while one remains a fugitive. As a result of this matter, Sanford Heisler Sharp was awarded the National Law Journal’s 2021 award for best Human Rights Firm in the United States.
In 2018, Ed obtained a $5.4 million jury verdict and award of attorney fees for Beth Burns, the winningest women’s basketball coach in San Diego State University’s history. Ed’s litigation acumen in this public jury trial that focused on SDSU’s Title IX violations highlights how even the most powerful institutions can be made to take responsibility for the damage they cause to individual’s careers and overall wellbeing.
In addition to his courtroom successes, throughout his career Ed has been involved in the leadership of professional and civic organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Ed served as president of the San Diego Chapter and the statewide California Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He also served for over 20 years on the ABOTA National Board of Directors. He is the former Vice President of the San Diego County Bar Association and the Barrister’s Club of San Diego.
Ed received his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law and his B.S. from Southwest Missouri State University. Between undergraduate and law school, Ed served in the United States Army infantry, including a 12-month tour in Vietnam where he was awarded three Bronze Stars and other commendations. Ed’s outstanding trial experience coupled with service in the U.S. military and long-standing ties to the greater San Diego community enable him to provide exemplary counsel to clients seeking representation in a range of matters.
Ed has received many significant professional awards including the Daniel T. Broderick Award for “epitomizing the highest principles of civility, integrity and professionalism” presented by the San Diego Chapter of ABOTA, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, San Diego Defense Lawyers and the San Diego County Bar Association. He received the Lifetime Achievement award presented by the San Diego Defense Lawyers and his undergraduate alma mater Missouri State University recognized him with its Outstanding Alumnus Award. Ed was named to The American Lawyer’s 2021 inaugural list of West Trailblazers and has been named one of the prestigious Best Lawyers in America every year since 1989 and earned a Super Lawyers ranking every year since 2007.
Updated Sep 2022
