Elise R. Sanguinetti

As president of the American Association for Justice, Sanguinetti has her sights set on ending forced arbitration.

A founding partner at plaintiffs’ firm Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos LLP, Sanguinetti said she has witnessed the damaging effects forced arbitration has on her clients and consumers in general.

She and other members of the American Association for Justice have spent time in Washington D.C. advocating for the FAIR Act, federal legislation that would end forced arbitration.

“It really affects so much of our lives because we’re signing away our right to a civil jury trial,” Sanguinetti said.

A case she is litigating in San Mateo demonstrates some of the pitfalls of forced arbitration, she said.

Sanguinetti represents 50 women who claim they were sexually assaulted at Massage Envy locations in California. Many of the plaintiffs say that they were tricked into forced arbitration clauses by the company. Some defendants named in the lawsuit have histories of sexual assault allegations and convictions, according to court documents. Jane Does 1-50 v. Massage Envy, 18CIV03706 (S.M. Super. Ct. filed July 17, 2018).

Sanguinetti is litigating many other cases as well.

As co-lead counsel, she filed a putative class action in San Mateo County Superior Court that accuses biotechnology company, Genentech Inc., of intentionally packaging cancer medications in vials that are too large for most patients. The lawsuit alleges the unused medication cannot be safely stored after the first use and that the company designed its packages this way to increase its profits. Andrew Williamson v. Genentech Inc., 19CIV01022 (S.M. Super. Ct. filed Feb. 26, 2019).

“Being a consumer advocate is my passion,” Sanguinetti said. “I’m working for many brave women who are stepping up to fight for themselves and for others, and for providers for cancer patients who have been taken advantage of in their time of need. It’s wonderful to be able to help consumers, by representing them in court and in Washington D.C.”

—Carter Stoddard