jennifer.sands@wilsonelser.com

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Jennifer Sands represents companies and individuals in the areas of general liability, premises liability, personal injury and wrongful death. A former homicide detective, Jennifer demonstrates a keen attention to detail and is an asset at the various stages of litigation. She earns the trust of her clients through understanding their goals and effectively advising them on their matters.

Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Jennifer represented first responders in a variety of criminal, civil and administrative defense matters. Jennifer is a 13-year veteran deputy and detective of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office where she handled child crimes, violent crimes, homicides and Internal Affairs/Professional Standards. Jennifer also spent 5½ years in the United States Army in Germany and the United States, and was named the Fort McClellan, Alabama, 1998 Soldier of the Year.

    Education

    • Mitchell Hamline School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2022)
    • Liberty University (M.A. Human Services Counseling and Executive Leadership, summa cum laude, 2016)
    • University of South Florida (B.A. Criminology, 2006)

    Bar Admissions

    • Georgia
    • Florida

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
    • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia

Jennifer S. Sands

Manfredi and Sands Obtain Motion to Dismiss in Federal Action

Michael Manfredi (Partner-Atlanta, GA) and Jennifer Sands (Associate-Atlanta, GA) obtained dismissal of all claims against the firm's client in a federal action in which the plaintiff sought $3,000,000 in damages. The plaintiff asserted claims against multiple defendants, alleging violations of his constitutional rights under both federal and state law, and negligence under Georgia state law. The plaintiff further sought attorney's fees under O.C.G.A. § 13-6-11, alleging our client acted in bad faith and was stubbornly litigious. The federal district court granted the motion to dismiss in its entirety without oral argument, notwithstanding the plaintiff's request for a hearing.

Michael P. Manfredi and Jennifer S. Sands

Atlanta Team Secures Settlement at a Fraction of Plaintiff's Eight-figure Demand

Michael Manfredi (Partner–Atlanta, GA), Kristina Thompson (Of Counsel–Atlanta, GA), and Jennifer Sands (Associate–Atlanta, GA​​) secured a significant defense outcome in a premises liability case arising from a shooting on the defendants' apartment-style residential property. The plaintiff sustained gunshot wounds to his lower extremities and faces a potential future amputation. His initial demand was for $30 million, and he filed suit against our insured clients in Gwinnett County State Court. The Atlanta defense team vigorously defended the case through discovery and contentious motions practice, maintaining that the plaintiff's injuries resulted from unforeseeable third-party criminal acts for which the property owner and management are not liable. Despite substantial resistance from opposing counsel, the team successfully obtained the underlying criminal investigative files, which revealed numerous material inconsistencies – including lies and omissions - between the plaintiff's statements to law enforcement and his civil discovery responses and testimony. Based on these findings, the team filed a Motion for Sanctions for Discovery Abuses seeking dismissal of the Complaint. While the motion was pending, plaintiff's counsel reduced the demand from $30 million to $3 million, which was one-tenth of the initial demand. The case ultimately resolved for an amount below that reduced figure.

Michael P. Manfredi, Kristina E. Thompson and Jennifer S. Sands