About Kristen
Kristen Sagafi has built a legal career that moves between private practice and the classroom. She earned a B.A. in literature from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1995 and went on to receive her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2002. Those credentials laid the groundwork for a practice rooted in litigation and firm leadership.
Soon after law school, Sagafi joined Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. Beginning in 2002 she served there as a partner and took on responsibilities as the firm’s hiring partner. That role placed her at the center of talent evaluation and recruitment, alongside handling substantial matters typical of a large plaintiff-side practice. Over time she moved into other firm leadership positions and carried that experience forward to the next stage of her career.
In 2015 she joined Tycko & Zavareei LLP as a partner. Her move reflected a pattern of shifting between established firms while remaining active in high-stakes litigation environments. Colleagues and clients from that period recall a lawyer comfortable managing complex caseloads and coordinating across teams. She also maintained an interest in training the next generation of lawyers.
That interest led her back to Berkeley Law in 2018, where she served as a lecturer. In the classroom she drew on years of courtroom and firm-side experience to give students practical perspectives on litigation practice and the day-to-day work of a trial attorney. Her time teaching added an academic dimension to a career already marked by significant firm responsibilities.
In 2022 Sagafi took on an Of Counsel role at Sher Edling LLP. The position brought her into a firm known for taking on large, consequential matters and allowed her to continue advising clients while contributing at a senior level to case strategy and firm operations. She holds an active license to practice in California and has remained based in the state throughout her professional life.
Her career path shows steady movement between frontline litigation roles and teaching. She has repeatedly taken on leadership tasks inside firms and in the classroom. She currently practices at Sher Edling LLP, focusing on litigation and client representation in California.
