James Hannaway
Top rated Employment Litigation attorney in Washington, Washington DC
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP
Practice Areas: Employment Litigation, Civil Litigation, Employment & Labor; view more
Licensed in Washington DC since: 2020
Education: The George Washington University Law School
Selected to Rising Stars: 2024 Call today:
202-221-4003
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP
700 Pennsylvania Ave. SESuite 300
Washington, DC 20003 Visit website
Details
Within a relatively short time in the legal field, James E. Hannaway has made mammoth strides within his legal community, helping individuals, classes and even state governments in myriad civil, qui tam and employment discrimination cases, as well as public interest litigation. He is a senior litigation counsel at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, in Washington, Washington, D.C., and serves clients nationwide.
Mr. Hannaway completed his undergraduate studies at Carleton College, graduating cum laude with his Bachelor of Arts degree. He then went on to enroll at the George Washington University Law School, where he fine-tuned his legal talents and sharpened his legal acumen by taking part in many activities. He served as articles editor for the George Washington Law Review, president of the American Constitution Society and vice president of funding for the Equal Justice Foundation.
Moreover, Mr. Hannaway was a research assistant to the associate dean and interned at the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. He received his Juris Doctor with highest honors in 2019 and, the following year, obtained his license to practice in Washington, D.C. With a penchant for learning and acquiring knowledge, he became a clerk for the Honorable Deborah A. Robinson, magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Some of Mr. Hannaway’s most notable cases include filing a $30 million civil action against The Kraft Heinz Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California and representing the city of Baltimore, Maryland, in a public interest litigation case against Polymer80, Inc., with allegations of violating Maryland and federal firearms law by selling and advertising ghost gun kits that are unserialized and untraceable to the general public.
Practice areas
Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor: EmployeeFocus areas
Employment Discrimination, Whistleblower
- 40% Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
- 30% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 30% Employment & Labor: Employee
First Admitted: 2020, Washington DC
Professional Webpage: https://www.sanfordheisler.com/team/james-hannaway/
- District of Columbia, 2020
- GW’s Graduate Worker Union, Organizing Committee Member
- Public Justice Advocacy Clinic, Student Attorney
- American Constitution Society, Chapter President
- Mr. Hannaway and attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp, along with the Brady Campaign and the Baltimore City Department of the Law, successfully represented the City of Baltimore in its litigation against Polymer80, one of the largest manufacturers of easy-to-assemble, un-serialized "ghost guns." The complaint alleged Polymer80 had created a public nuisance in Baltimore and was in violation of Maryland and federal firearms law. In 2024, a settlement was reached that imposes a permanent injunction prohibiting Polymer80 from selling or advertising its ghost gun kits in Maryland. The company also must pay the City of Baltimore $1.2 million in damages., 2024
- Mr. Hannaway is a member of the Sanford Heisler Sharp team representing the class in Fogg v. Garland, a nearly 30-year long racial discrimination complaint alleging the United States Marshals Service ("USMS") discriminated against African Americans in its promotions, recruitment, and hiring policies for Deputy U.S. Marshals positions. In September 2023, the Court granted preliminary approval for a $15 million settlement. The plaintiff class encompasses all past, current, and prospective African American Deputy U.S. Marshals from January 23, 1994, through the present. As part of the settlement, the USMS agreed to institute significant programmatic reforms to its hiring practices. The race discrimination complaint was originally filed in 1994. , 2023
- Mr. Hannaway is representing the plaintiffs in their lawsuit alleging race discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation against Kraft Heinz. The plaintiffs worked at Kraft Heinz's dairy plant in California. The Complaint alleges that all three plaintiffs, who are Black, experienced extreme racial animus and harassment from both co-workers and supervisors, and that Kraft Heinz failed to adequately respond to the hostile work environment. As retaliation for reporting the abuse, according to the Complaint, the Plaintiffs were targeted with disciplinary actions and passed over for promotions in favor of non-Black employees with less experience. Ultimately, instead of addressing the racial abuse, Plaintiffs allege Kraft Heinz illegally terminated their employment. The Complaint seeks damages of at least $30 million for lost pay and the emotional distress plaintiffs experienced over the years. The case is scheduled for trial in 2024., 2024
- Washington Lawyers’ Committee Workers’ Rights Clinic, Volunteer Attorney
- J.D., The George Washington University Law School, with Highest Honors, Order of the Coif
- B.A., Carleton College, cum laude
- Legal analysis critical of circuit court rulings holding that compensatory damages are not available in discrimination cases brought under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). "This apparent consensus is outdated and without reasoned support. Moreover, it is contrary to the prevailing interpretation of equivalent language in the Fair Labor Standards Act/ADEA's provision setting forth anti-retaliation remedies and the ADEA's protections for federal employees. As a baseless vestige of the law, it can and should unravel soon, given courts' newfound willingness to reconsider old doctrine that contradicts the plain text of civil rights statutes.", Co-author, "Courts Should Revisit Availability Of Age Bias Law Damages", Law360, 2023
- An in-depth analysis considering the implications for employment and anti-bias law as employers increasing use algorithmic hiring tools to screen for "cultural fit." , Co-Author, "How AI 'Cultural Fit' Assessments Can Be Analyzed For Bias", Law360, 2023
- The George Washington Law Review, Articles Editor
Office location for James Hannaway
700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 202-221-4003
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2024
