Edward D. Chapin
Ed Chapin is the Managing Partner in the San Diego office of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, a national law firm with offices in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Tennessee, and Maryland. Ed received his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law and his B.S. from Southwest Missouri State University.
Ed is a veteran litigator whose practice spans class actions, unfair business practices, professional negligence, insurance coverage, bad faith, toxic torts, serious personal injury, and wrongful death. His 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. Across an illustrious 45-plus-year 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 were able to secure a nearly $13 million award after a 99-day bench trial in California Superior Court. The Court also granted the 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. Further, defendants must remove all of the videos that they’ve produced and posted on the Internet involving the Plaintiffs. Midway through the trial, the 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.
In 2018, Ed secured final approval of a $4 million settlement for Beth Burns, the winningest coach in San Diego State University’s women’s basketball history. His litigation acumen in this very 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.
He has been involved in the leadership of professional and civic organizations at the local, state, and national levels, including serving 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. He is the former Vice President of the San Diego County Bar Association. Ed has spoken at continuing legal education and trial advocacy seminars sponsored by the San Diego County Bar Association, American Board of Trial Advocates, California Continuing Education of the Bar, Litigation Section California State Bar Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyer Association, and the Rutter Group.
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 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. In February 2018, was recognized as the Outstanding Trial Lawyer for 2017 by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.
Ed 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.
Trial Lawyer of the Year by Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
- One of the Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers for 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017-2018
- Super Lawyers 2007-2019
- National Board of Directors of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 1989 – 2010
- Chaired committees which developed the ABOTA Principles of Civility, Integrity and Professionalism
- Chaired committees which developed the ABOTA Protocol for Responding to Unfair Media Criticism of Judges
- 2019 Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star - West in the practice area of Labor & Employment
- 2019 National Law Journal Employment Trailblazer
- One of the Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers for 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017-2018
- National Board of Directors of American Board of Trial Advocates
- 2018 Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star - West in the practice area of Labor & Employment
- 2020 Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer
- 2020 California Trailblazer
- 2020 Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star - West in the practice area of Labor & Employment
San Diego, California 92101
