Qiaojing Ella Zheng

Ella Zheng is the Managing Partner of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight’s Palo Alto and San Francisco offices and Chair of the firm’s Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice Group. In 2022, she was recognized as a Rising Star by Law360 and named an “Asian Leader Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal. She has earned a spot on Super Lawyers’ Northern California Rising Stars list every year since 2016 and was named among the Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in California by The National Trial Lawyers. In 2018, Ella was honored with the Tribute to Women Award by the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley, and in 2020, she received the Minority Bar Coalition Unity Award. At Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Ella’s practice spans a diverse range of legal issues. She represents employees from all sectors in individual and class actions involving wage and hour violations, discrimination (including gender, race/national origin, age, sexual orientation, and disability), retaliation, and wrongful termination. She also advocates for executives and managers in public litigation and privately negotiated settlements. Ella’s practice extends to representing whistleblowers in qui tam cases under the U.S. False Claims Act and handling matters related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, SEC Whistleblower Program, IRS Whistleblower Program, and other fraud-related statutes.