Notable Verdicts & Settlements
- $100 million judgment on behalf of a young girl who was sexually abused by her Jiu Jitsu coach.
- $97.5 million settlement where Sonya represented over 30 plaintiffs in the Santa Monica PAL/Eric Uller sexual abuse cases.
- $45.4 million verdict where Sonya was on the trial team who represented a young girl who was repeatedly sexually abused. County of Los Angeles’ DCFS was aware that plaintiff was living with a convicted child molester, yet did nothing. This was the #8 verdict in the State of California in 2018.
- $8 million settlement on behalf of a 15-year-old girl who was sexually abused by her teacher at San Gabriel Mission High School. This was the largest individual settlement for a sexual abuse case the Archdiocese of Los Angeles had ever agreed to.
- $6 million settlement on behalf of a woman who was sexually abused by a coach at LAUSD’s Locke High School in the 1990s.
- $4.3 million settlement on behalf of a woman who was sexually abused by her coach at a Calvary Chapel high school.
- $3.5 million settlement on behalf of a young girl who was sexually abused by her assistant coach at Tulare Western High School.
- $3 million settlement for a woman who was sexually assaulted by a religious leader.
Education
- J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law
- Senior Editor, Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal
- Honors: Certificate in the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
- B.A., magna cum laude, Philosophy, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Honors: Departmental Honors in Philosophy
Publications
- “Extending SOL for sexual assault victims is an important step,” Daily Journal, October 23, 2019
- Interview with Lawyer Monthly about the impact of AB 218
- “Protecting Your Plaintiff in Sexual-Misconduct Cases;” The Advocate, April 2020
- “Victims of sexual violence can use the law to take back their power;” The Advocate, March 2024
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of California, Member
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), Member
- 2024, Chair of New Lawyers Committee
- 2022 & 2023, Vice Chair of New Lawyers Committee
- 2021, Chair of Law School Outreach Committee
- Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), Member
- American Association for Justice (AAJ), Member
- The National Crime Victim Bar Association (NCVBA), Member
Honors and Awards
- Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2021-2023
- Best Lawyers in America Ones to Watch, 2022-2025
- 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers