Elizabeth J. Cabraser

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Recognized since 2005

San Francisco, California

Practice Areas

Consumer Protection Law

Litigation - Securities

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs

Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

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Under Elizabeth Cabraser’s leadership, Lieff Cabraser has become one of the country’s largest law firms serving clients seeking redress for financial and consumer fraud, anti-competitive practices, harmful drugs and products, and illegal employment practices. For four decades, Elizabeth has made sure that our firm remains dedicated to its clients and its core values.

Possessing unparalleled expertise in complex civil litigation, Elizabeth has served as court-appointed lead, co-lead, or class counsel in scores of federal multi-district and state coordinated proceedings. These cases include multi-state tobacco, the Exxon Valdez disaster, Breast Implants, Fen-Phen (Diet Drugs), Vioxx, Toyota sudden acceleration, numerous securities/investment fraud cases, and Holocaust litigation. Today, Elizabeth serves in court-appointed leadership positions in several of the nation’s highest profile civil cases, including serving as Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel in the GM ignition switch defect litigation, as Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” and Fiat Chrysler Ecodiesel Emissions MDLs. She is currently immersed in nationwide Opioids litigation. In January 2018, she was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and Settlement Negotiating Committee in the National Prescription Opiates MDL, and earlier this year was appointed Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel in the McKinsey & Co. National Prescription Opiate MDL.

A Pillar of the Plaintiffs’ Bar

Elizabeth has been repeatedly recognized as one of the foremost litigators in our nation, including being selected an unprecedented four times as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal, which has called her “a pillar of the plaintiffs’ bar.”

A Daily Journal “Top California Woman Lawyer” since 2007, in 2018 Law360 named her a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar,” the National Trial Lawyers Association selected her for its National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame, and California Lawyer named her “California Lawyer of the Year” for her work on the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Emissions Fraud case. In 2017, Elizabeth received the National Law Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Also in 2017, she was named “Plaintiff Attorney of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation, which noted that she “is known nationwide for having handled some of the largest class actions in US history, as well as being one the firm’s — and the country’s — foremost trial lawyers.” The publication also named her to its lists for “Top 10 Women in Litigation,” “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” and “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America.” The National Law Journal selected Elizabeth as a 2017 “Energy and Environmental Law Trailblazer,” and Chambers and Partners USA named her a “Leader in the Field” for General Litigation (California) and Product Liability (Nationwide).

Contact & Links

Lawyer Page: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/attorneys/elizabeth-j-cabraser/

Location

275 Battery Street, 29th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111

Education

University of California Berkeley, J.D., graduated 1978
University of California Berkeley, B.A., graduated 1975

Bar Admissions

California, The State Bar of California

Affiliations

Association of Business Trial Lawyers - Member
Bar Association of San Francisco - Past President, Securities Litigation Section; Board of Directors, 1997 - 1998; Judiciary Committee
Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit - Member
Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom - Member
Berkeley Law School - Adjunct Professor, Spring 2002-Present (Advanced Course in Civil Procedure: Complex Litigation/Mass Torts, Spring Semester 2002, Fall Semester 2003–2008, Spring Semester 2010; Class Actions, Spring Semester 2008; Consumer Class Actions, Spring Semester 20
California Constitution Revision Commission - 1993 -1996
California Women Lawyers - Member
Charleston Law School - Panelist and Contributor, (Punitive Damages Symposium, Fall 2007)
Columbia University School of Law - Visiting Professor, Spring 2003–Present (Complex Litigation/Mass Torts; Consumer Litigation Advanced Seminar)
Consumer Attorneys of California - Member
Federal Bar Association - Member
Federal Bar Association - Northern District of California Chapter
Federal Civil Rules Advisory Committee - Appointed by Supreme Court, 2011
Lawyers Club of San Francisco - Member
American Law Institute - Council; International Jurisdiction and Judgments and Aggregate Litigation Projects; Advisor
Duke Law School Bolch Judicial Institute - Faculty Member, 2019-2021
American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Fellow
American Bar Association - Committee on Mass Torts, Past Co-Chair; Committee on Class Actions and Derivative Suits; Tort and Insurance Practice Section; Rules & Procedures Committee, Past Vice-Chair; Civil Procedure & Evidence News Letter, Contributor; Business Law Section
American Association for Justice - Fight for Justice Campaign; Women Trial Lawyers Caucus; California State Liaison
National Consumer Law Center - Board of Directors, 2024
National Center for State Courts - Board Member; Mass Tort Conference Planning Committee
National Judicial College - Board of Trustees
Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference - Lawyer Deligate, 1992 - 1995
Northern District of California Civil Justice Reform Act - Advisory Committee; Advisory Committee on Professional Conduct
Northern District of California Civil Justice Reform Act (CJRA) Advisory Committee - Member
Public Justice Foundation - Member
Queen's Bench - Member
State Bar of California - Member
Vanderbilt University School of Law - Visiting Professor, Fall 2006 (Complex Litigation Short Course)
Yale Law School - Visiting Lecturer (Aggregate Litigation, Spring Semester 2022)

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 1992
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2005
U.S. Tax Court, 1979
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 1992
U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii, 1986
U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1992
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 1979
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1978
U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit, 1994
U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit, 2013
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 2001
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 1979
U.S. Supreme Court, 1996
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit, 2011
U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, 2009

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

29 The Best Lawyers in America^® awards

9 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America awards

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Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers^® for:

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, San Francisco (2024)
Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, San Francisco (2020)
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, San Francisco (2019)
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, San Francisco (2016)
Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, San Francisco (2014)
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, San Francisco (2012)

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2025 for work in:

Consumer Protection Law
Litigation - Securities
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

Special Focus:

Class Actions

Awards:

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of “Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs,” “Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs,” “Product Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs,” and “Consumer Protection Law,” 2005-2025
“Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America,” Lawdragon, 2006, 2025
“Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers," Lawdragon, 2024
“Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers, recognized in the category of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs, Litigation-Securities, Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs for San Francisco, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2024
“National Litigation Star,” “California Litigation Star,” “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” Benchmark Litigation, 2024
“Top 100 Lawyers in California,” Daily Journal, 2002-2007, 2010-2016, 2019-2024
“Top Women Lawyers in California,” Daily Journal, 2007-2020, 2022-2024
“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2019-2024
“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2019-2024
“Top 10 USA-Based Plaintiff Attorneys Crushing Product Liability Cases Nationwide,” Business Today, 2023
“Top Plaintiff Lawyers,” California Daily Journal, 2016-2017, 2019, 2021-2023
“Top 10 Northern California Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers, 2011-2023
“Top 50 Women Northern California Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers, 2005-2023
“Super Lawyer for Northern California,” Super Lawyers, 2004-2023
“Product Liability MVP of the Year,” Law360, 2022
“Lifetime Achievement Award,” National Law Journal, 2022
“Excellence in Ethics in Complex Litigation,” UC College of the Law, San Francisco, Center for Litigation and Courts, 2022
“Top Lawyers of the Decade,” Daily Journal, 2021
“Ramey Gender Justice Award,” Equal Rights Advocates, 2021
“Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame,” Lawdragon, 2021
“Top 250 Women in Litigation,” Benchmark Litigation, 2016-2020
“Top 20 Trial Lawyers in America,” Benchmark Litigation, 2020
“Vern Countryman Consumer Law Award,” National Consumer Law Center, 2019
“Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2006-2020
“Trial Lawyer Excellence Award,” Law Bulletin, 2019
“Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar,” National Law Journal, 2018
“Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” Benchmark Litigation, 2015, 2017, 2018
“Champion of Justice,” Public Justice, 2018
2018 “National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame,” National Trial Lawyers Association
“Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar,” Law360, 2018
“California Lawyer of the Year,” California Lawyer, 2018
“Plaintiff Lawyer of the Year,” Benchmark Litigation, 2017
“Lifetime Achievement Award,” National Law Journal, 2017
“Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist,” Consumer Attorneys of California, 2017
“Top 10 Women in Litigation,” Benchmark Litigation, 2016, 2017
“Energy and Environmental Law Trailblazer,” National Law Journal, 2017
“Leader in the Field” for General Commercial Litigation (California); Product Liability – Plaintiffs (Nationwide), Chambers USA, 2017
“MVP for Class Action Law,” Law360, 2016
“Litigator of the Week,” American Lawyer Litigation Daily, October 28, 2016
“Judge Learned Hand Award,” American Jewish Committee, 2016
“25 Most Influential Women in Securities Law,” Law360, 2016
“California Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation, 2012-2017
“Women Trailblazers in the Law,” Senior Lawyers Division, American Bar Association, 2015
“Legends of the 500,” Lawdragon, 2015
“Outstanding Women Lawyer,” National Law Journal, 2015
“Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers,” Super Lawyers, 2005-2016
“Recommended Lawyer,” The Legal 500 (U.S. edition, 2000-2014)
“100 Most Influential Lawyers in America,” The National Law Journal, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2013
“Lifetime Achievement Award,” American Association for Justice, 2012
“Outstanding Achievement Award,” Chambers USA, 2012
“Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award,” American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, 2010
“Edward Pollock Award,” Consumer Attorneys of California, 2008
“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers,” Lawdragon, Winter 2007
“50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America,” The National Law Journal, 1998, 2007
“Award For Public Interest Excellence,” University of San Francisco School of Law Public Interest Law Foundation, 2007
“Top 75 Women Litigators,” Daily Journal, 2005-2006
“Distinguished Leadership Award,” Legal Community Against Violence, 2006
“Women of Achievement Award,” Legal Momentum (formerly the NOW Legal Defense & Education Fund), 2006
“Top 30 Securities Litigator,” Daily Journal, 2005
“Top 50 Women Litigators,” Daily Journal, 2004
“Citation Award,” University of California, Berkeley Law, 2003
“Distinguished Jurisprudence Award,” Anti-Defamation League, 2002
“Top 30 Women Litigators,” California Daily Journal, 2002
“Top Ten Women Litigators,” The National Law Journal, 2001
“Matthew O. Tobriner Public Service Award,” Legal Aid Society, 2000
“California Law Business Top 100 Lawyers,” California Daily Journal, 2000
“California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY),” California Lawyer, 1998
“Presidential Award of Merit,” Consumer Attorneys of California, 1998
“Public Justice Achievement Award,” Public Justice, 1997