Ms. Saraiva has handled hundreds of complex cases to successful completion and obtained multiple seven-figure results for her clients. She began her legal career working full-time at Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora as a law clerk during the day while attending McGeorge School of Law's evening program. In 2004, Ms. Saraiva graduated from McGeorge School of Law, ranking number two in her class and earning Order of the Coif membership, awarded to only the top 10 percent of students at recognized law schools. She was one of only two candidates selected as a 2004 Judicial Extern to a United States Federal District Court judge.
Ms. Saraiva has devoted her legal career to exclusively representing injured victims. Her mission is to work on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society who often have no one to champion them. In 2010, Ms. Saraiva was nominated for Attorney of the Year by CAOC (Consumer Attorneys of California) for her work in the Linville v. PSI, Inc. case where, with Mr. Buccola, she represented the heirs of a dependent adult patient (under the California Elder Abuse & Dependent Adult Laws) who died days after her admission into a Sacramento acute-care hospital due to use of an unsafe restraint. As a condition to settlement, the hospital had to change its policies and training practices in several key areas of patient neglect uncovered during the case. In 2011, Ms. Saraiva earned a second Attorney of the Year nomination and a Woman Trial Lawyer of the Year nomination for her work in the trial of Parken v. Smart-Vasquez, where she obtained a $3.6 million verdict (with Mr. Greenblatt) in a rear-end collision case.
In 2013, Ms. Saraiva once again received a Woman Trial Lawyer of the Year nomination. Along with Steve Campora, she represented the Botell Family in Botell v. United States, arguing the management of Lassen National Park was to blame for the death of Tommy, age 9, and injury to sister Katrina, age 13, during a family vacation. The government denied all liability, but the court struck the government’s defense and sanctioned the United States for destroying evidence in the case. Rather than face arguments regarding the superintendent’s failure to comply with mandatory park policies, the United States settled shortly before trial for a substantial amount.
In 2018, Ms. Saraiva co-tried a case against Comcast on behalf of a young man who was struck by a Comcast van while riding his motorcycle. The case went to trial after the last offer from the defense of $300,000 was rejected. At trial, the issue of the plaintiff’s lower back injuries was in question. Comcast emphasized the fact that no low back complaints were documented in the ambulance and hospital records on the day of the accident, although Comcast conceded the accident did cause some lower back injury, albeit less than the plaintiff claimed. Additionally, the defense surgeon pointed to prior automobile accidents in 2007 and 2008 as causally related to the degeneration seen on the plaintiff's MRIs. The defense doctor opined that the plaintiff's congenitally narrow spinal canal—a condition that ran in the plaintiff's family—was also a contributory factor unrelated to the accident. After an eight-day trial, the jury returned a verdict of $1.069 million. With an expired CCP 998 Offer, Comcast was forced to pay an additional $328,000 in interest and recoverable costs, bringing the total recovery to over $1.39 million.
Ms. Saraiva is Distinguished peer-review rated* through Martindale-Hubbell®. In 2012, Ms. Saraiva earned membership selection into The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40 for individuals who exemplify superior qualifications, trial results, and leadership. Ms. Saraiva was selected as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star from 2010 through 2015. This recognition is bestowed on less than 2.5 percent of all attorneys. In 2016, Ms. Saraiva was first selected to Northern California Super Lawyers® along with less than 5% of her peers; she was again selected in 2017-2019. She has been recognized by San Francisco Magazine as one of Northern California's Outstanding Young Lawyers and selected by Top Attorneys—Sacramento's Outstanding Young Lawyers. In 2013 and 2014, Ms. Saraiva was recognized as one of the Top Women Attorneys in Northern California by San Francisco Magazine, which names attorneys who have received the highest point totals based on peer review, professional achievement, and the independent research of Law & Politics magazine.
In 2013, Ms. Saraiva was selected as one of 14 inaugural class members for the 2014 New Leaders Council—CAOC Legal Institute which worked to recruit and train Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) members for future leadership roles in the CAOC, professional settings and communities. As part of the 2014 NLC class, Ms. Saraiva joined one of over 600 nationwide NLC Fellows who have gone on to become leaders and luminaries in their professions.
After emigrating from her native Portugal as a child, Ms. Saraiva grew up in a working-class neighborhood of South Sacramento, attending Christian Brothers High School, where she competed in volleyball and softball. She is proud of her roots and remains fluent in Portuguese, as well as Spanish. Ms. Saraiva is active in her community through various organizations and volunteer work to better our Sacramento community.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.
Areas Of Practice
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Wrongful Death
- Construction Accidents
- Product Liability
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
Honors and Awards
- Selected to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list, 2024
- Consumer Attorneys of California Attorney of the Year, Nominee
- Woman Trial Lawyer of Year, Nominee
- Distinguished rating from Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review
- Sacramento's Outstanding Young Lawyers, Top Attorneys
- Northern California's Outstanding Young Lawyers
- Top Women Attorneys in Northern California, San Francisco Magazine
- Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award
- The Roger J. Traynor Honor Society, Member
- Witkin Awards in Legal Process/Research Writing and Business Associations
- Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law, ABA/The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
- Top 20 Finalist in First-Year Mock Trial Competition
- Northern California Super Lawyers® Rising Star Honoree, 2010-2015
- Northern California Super Lawyers® Listee, 2016-2019
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Sacramento Consumer Attorneys, Member
- Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), Member
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member
- Order of the Coif, Member
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Member
- State Bar of California, Member
- Luso-American Foundation, Member
Languages
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