McDonald Hopkins welcomes Sanford Watson to Litigation Department and Energy team

CLEVELAND — An experienced trial attorney and arbitrator with real-world experience, Sanford Watson has joined the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC as a Member, adding his expertise to the Litigation Department and Energy practice.  

Watson focuses on finding the best ethical and practical business solution for his clients. His practice includes litigating business disputes and products liability cases in federal and state court. Beyond his expertise in the courtroom, Watson also provides practical business counsel to clients involved in real estate appropriations cases, commercial arbitration and administrative law issues. Watson also guides clients in matters related to eminent domain, and contract disputes.

Watson also brings a wealth of public law experience to McDonald Hopkins. As a former Director of Public Safety for the City of Cleveland, Watson’s clients benefit from his experience administering government contracts, negotiating mutual aid agreements and consent decrees, developing law enforcement policy, and hearing collective bargaining unit grievances and disciplinary matters. In addition, he served as a prosecutor and then Chief Prosecutor for the City of Cleveland where he tried numerous jury trials to verdict and hundreds of bench trials, supervised and trained assistant prosecutors, reviewed internal affairs investigations, and issued criminal charges where appropriate.

Watson has been recognized as a leader for his dedication to diversity and inclusion efforts in the Northeast Ohio legal community. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and his B.A. from Morehouse College. 

He can be reached at 216.348.5751 and swatson@mcdonaldhopkins.com.