Elise R. Sanguinetti

Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Civil Appeals & Legal Malpractice

Emeryville

Elise R. Sanguinetti is a name partner at Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team, LLP, a plaintiff-side litigation boutique launched in 1984 by Mike Arias. Her practice focuses on personal injury, wrongful death and legal malpractice cases plus civil appeals.

She joined in 2015 after running her own shop. The firm rebranded after name partner Alfredo Torrijos left; Sanguinetti said the firm decided to replace his name with "Team" to reflect all the lawyers on the roster.

Sanguinetti said she was studying political science as an undergrad at San Diego State University when a constitutional law professor showed her "the power of the law to make fundamental change." After graduating from the University of San Francisco School of Law, she clerked for Ignazio J. Ruvolo, a future appellate jurist who was then a judge on the Contra Costa County Superior Court.

"He gave me the opportunity to do a lot of law and motion work, which is so critical for trial lawyers," Sanguinetti said. Ruvolo then recommended her to fellow Contra Costa Judge Barbara Ann Zuniga, for whom Sanguinetti also clerked. "Her strong background in criminal law was also very helpful," she said. "Both were great mentors."

Today, Sanguinetti often joins with law partner Jamie G. Goldstein on cases. In a new filing, the pair represent a New Jersey couple allegedly victimized by a 2022 collision in San Francisco between a Lyft vehicle and a Cruise robotaxi. According to Sanguinetti's complaint, the Lyft driver was speeding on Geary Boulevard when he crashed into the Cruise car in which plaintiff Donna Collins was a passenger, severely injuring her. The complaint includes a loss of consortium claim for husband John Collins. Collins v. Berha et al., CGC-24-614871 (S. F. Sup. Ct., filed May 21, 2024).

The named defendant, Sisay Berhane Berha, allegedly was driving the Lyft vehicle when it collided with the Cruise car.

"So, you have a human driver for Lyft colliding with an autonomous vehicle with a passenger," Sanguinetti summed. "Who is responsible for Donna Collins' multiple injuries? I've been concerned about autonomous vehicles for years, but this is my first case where on was involved."

Sanguinetti said she had just settled for a confidential amount her claim against Tesla for the family of a man who died in a fiery crash of his Model S due to an uncommanded acceleration defect and other vehicle failures. McCarthy et al. v. Tesla, Inc., 19CV358560 (S. Clara Co. Sup. Ct., filed Oct. 4, 2019).

In September 2023, Sanguinetti and colleague Anna Mezhebovskaya persuaded a San Francisco jury to award their client $7.4 million for injuries he suffered because his landlord failed to install safety glass in a sliding door. The award came with a 45% reduction for the victim's comparative fault. Talwar v. Franciscana Apartments, CGC-22-600176 (S.F. Sup. Ct., filed June 15, 2022).

-- John Roemer