Sabrina H. Strong

Partner

Sabrina Strong is a partner in O’Melveny’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Class Actions, Mass Torts, and Insurance Litigation and General Trial and Litigation Practices. She has worked on numerous high-profile, multi-plaintiff cases for public and private sector clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer goods industries. She regularly handles complex business litigation, including class and mass tort actions involving product liability claims, in both federal and state court.  Sabrina also has extensive experience defending companies against consumer protection claims brought under California’s Unfair Competition Law (section 17200), false advertising statute (section 17500), and Consumers Legal Remedies Act (section 1750).

In 2008, Sabrina helped found the Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic at the UCLA School of Law.  She is currently an Adjunct Professor at the clinic.

In addition to serving her clients, Sabrina is active within the O’Melveny community. She has served on numerous office and Firm-wide committees, including the Los Angeles Training and Employment Committees and the Los Angeles Business Summit. She also served as co-chair of the Firm’s Associate and Counsel Advisory Committee. Sabrina was recently recognized by the Firm’s Los Angeles Pro Bono Committee for her superior pro bono commitment.

In 2012 she was named a “Rising Star” in the field of product liability by Law360. Sabrina has also been recognized as a Southern California “Rising Star” in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Media Inc. and published in Los Angeles Magazine and the Southern California edition of Super Lawyers (2004-2010).

Illustrative Professional Experience

• Served as second chair of an eleven-day bench trial in Los Angeles Superior Court that resulted in a complete victory for the defendants and was named among the “Top Defense Verdicts of 2009” by the Daily Journal.  The case involved claims of breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract by a former Chief Operating Officer and shareholder.  Sabrina presented direct and cross-examination of several key witnesses, including experts on both sides. 
• Leads legal teams in individual products liability trials in federal and state courts on behalf of major pharmaceutical and medical device companies.  In that role, Sabrina is responsible for briefing all evidentiary and procedural issues and preserving issues for appeal.  
• Developed and implemented—in coordination with her client and other national counsel—the core legal strategies for the defense and direction of a major, nationwide multi-district product liability litigation.
• Defended a petroleum company against a multi-million-dollar claim by municipalities resulting from an oil spill (including significant involvement in a four-week jury trial in Anchorage leading to a defense verdict).
• Coordinated the defense of a well-publicized class action brought against a large municipality premised upon Section 1983 (free speech and due process) and employment discrimination and retaliation claims.
• Defended a large public entity against constitutional claims relating to the appropriate system of oversight and management for public education.
• Led successful criminal prosecution before a jury on behalf of the City of Hermosa Beach Prosecutor’s Office.  Sabrina represented the city as part of the Trial Advocacy Prosecution Program (TAPP), an O’Melveny pro bono program.

Professional Activities

Law Clerk, Honorable William J. Rea, U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Admitted to Practice, U.S. District Court, Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Speaker, "Nuts & Bolts: Basic Litigation Skills-Essential Tools for Lawyers," Sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2003-12); Continuing legal education courses on discovery, product liability, and risk management issues
Co-Author, "Amended Rules for Multidistrict Litigation Take Effect," Verdict and CADS Report (co-authored with Matt Powers and Justin Mates) (2011); "Drug Manufacturers' Interactions with the FDA About Drug-Label Content Are Entitled to Protection Under the Noerr-Pennington Doctrine," Andrews Drug Recall Litigation Reporter (co-authored with Rich Goetz) (2008); Review of Unfair Competition Law for the 2003 California Litigation Review (published by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of California)
Co-Chair, Emerging Issues Subcommittee for the ABA’s Class Actions and Derivative Suits Committee
Adjunct Professor, University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, Ninth Circuit Appellate Practice Clinic
Vice Chairperson, Los Angeles County Bar Association's "Large Law Firm Committee"
Board of Directors, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Los Angeles Branch; Western Center on Law and Poverty; I Have a Dream Foundation
Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association/Association of Business Trial Lawyers Judicial Profile Committee; American Bar Association
Awards, Named a “Rising Star” in Media & Entertainment by Law360; second Chair for team named among the “Top Defense Verdicts of 2009” by the Daily Journal