Russell Kornblith - Profile

Russell Kornblith serves as the Managing Partner in New York at Sanford Heisler Sharp. His legal practice encompasses employment law and whistleblower law, where he advocates for individuals and classes involved in various disputes. These disputes range from allegations of wrongful termination, unfair denial of promotions, pay disparities, and creating a hostile work environment based on factors such as race, gender, pregnancy, protected leave, and disability. Furthermore, Russell represents whistleblowers who expose fraud against the U.S. government under the False Claims Act. Currently, he leads as class counsel in a national gender discrimination lawsuit against Merck & Co., Inc. The case, handled by Sanford Heisler, obtained collective action certification and involves over 650 women accusing the pharmaceutical company of pay discrimination. Russell has a successful track record in individual discrimination cases, including those representing in-house counsel, partners, and associates of prominent law firms, as well as executives in industries like financial services, pharmaceuticals, and advertising. He guides clients through litigation procedures and confidential negotiations to secure their rights. Russell has been instrumental in whistleblower cases, collaborating with government entities and initiating independent actions. Notably, he co-led the Temple St. Clair whistleblower lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, marking a precedent in the state by recovering funds for the federal government due to a company's failure to comply with product origin labeling regulations. He was also pivotal in achieving a $1.5 million whistleblower settlement for the Scripps Health System in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. In this case, the whistleblower exposed Scripps for improperly billing the government for physical therapy services provided in the absence of the supervising physician.