Catia G. Saraiva

Ms. Saraiva is a partner with the credentials of handling hundreds of complex cases to successful completion and obtaining multiple seven-figure results for her clients. She began her legal career working full time at this firm 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.

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 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 through CAOC (Consumer Attorneys of California) for her work in the Linville v. PSI, Inc. case (with Mr. Buccola) where she represented the heirs of a dependent adult patient (under the California Elder Abuse & Dependent Adult Laws) that 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 their 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.

Ms. Saraiva and Steve Campora represented the Botell Family in an action arising from the death of Tommy Botell, age 9, and injury to his sister, Katrina, age 13, at Lassen Volcanic National Park. In Botell v. United States the government denied liability and refused to compensate the family for their loss. The conduct of the United States, specifically park management, resulted in the United States being sanctioned for destroying evidence. Ms. Saraiva and Mr. Campora were able to establish that the park superintendent had not complied with mandatory park policies, and ultimately the court struck the defense of the United States and ruled that negligence on the part of the United States was the cause of the death of Tommy and injury to his sister, Katrina. The case settled, on the eve of trial, on the issue of damages, for a substantial amount. Based in part on her work in Botell, Ms. Saraiva received a Woman Trial Lawyer of Year nomination in 2013.

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, 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 that plaintiff's low back was injured in the accident - just not to the extent claimed by plaintiff. Additionally, the defense surgeon pointed to prior automobile accidents in 2007 and 2008 as causally related to the degeneration seen on Plaintiff's MRIs. The defense doctor also opined that plaintiff's congenitally narrow spinal canal - a condition that ran in 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. In 2018, Ms. Saraiva was selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers. Ms. Saraiva was selected as a Rising Star, in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 by the Northern California Super Lawyers. This recognition is bestowed on less than 2.5 percent of all attorneys. 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 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 of professional leaders for the 2014 New Leaders Council - CAOC Legal Institute which worked to recruit and train CAOC young members for future leadership roles in the CAOC, their 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.

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.