In almost 20 years of practice, Sabita J. Soneji has developed extensive experience in litigation and legal policy at both the federal and state level and a passion for fighting consumer fraud. Now a Partner in Tycko & Zavareei’s Oakland office, she focuses on consumer protection class actions and whistleblower litigation. In addition to her success with novel Telephone Consumer Protection cases, False Claims Act cases involving insurance fraud, and deceptive and false advertising cases, Ms. Soneji serves in leadership on multi-district litigation against Juul, for its manufacture and marketing to youth of an addictive nicotine product. Ms. Soneji also successfully represents consumers harmed by massive data breaches and by corporate practices that collect and monetize user data without consent. She serves as head of the firm’s Privacy and Data Breach Group.
Ms. Soneji began that work during her time with the United States Department of Justice, as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. In that role, she oversaw civil and criminal prosecution of various forms of financial fraud that arose in the wake of the 2008 recession. For that work, Ms. Soneji partnered with other federal agencies, state attorneys’ general, and consumer advocacy groups. Beyond that affirmative work, Ms. Soneji worked to defend various federal programs, including the Affordable Care Act in nationwide litigation.
Ms. Soneji has extensive civil litigation experience from her four years with international law firm, her work as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of California, and from serving as Deputy County Counsel for Santa Clara County, handling civil litigation on behalf of the County including regulatory, civil rights, and employment matters. She has successfully argued motions and conducted trials in both state and federal court and negotiated settlements in complex multi-party disputes.
Early in her career, Ms. Soneji clerked for the Honorable Gladys Kessler on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, during which she assisted the judge in overseeing the largest civil case in American history, United States v. Phillip Morris, et al., a civil RICO case brought against major tobacco manufacturers for fraud in the marketing, sale, and design of cigarettes. The opinion in that case paved the way for Congress to authorize FDA regulation of cigarettes and inspired the rest of her career.