About Michael
Amgad Michael Sabongui is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in California in 1994. He holds bar number 172008 and is currently not eligible to practice law in California. Mr. Sabongui is a Senior Counsel at Yoka | Smith, LLP, a law firm located in Irvine, California. His practice primarily focuses on catastrophic injury and wrongful death defense, governmental liability, and premises liability. He is also admitted to the New York State Bar and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Mr. Sabongui earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Villanova University in 1990. He then pursued his Juris Doctor at California Western School of Law, graduating in 1993. During his time at California Western, he developed a strong foundation in legal principles, which he later applied in his diverse legal career.
Throughout his career, Mr. Sabongui has handled cases involving catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, governmental liability, and premises liability. His experience encompasses all stages of litigation, including initial case evaluation, discovery, mediation, settlement negotiations, and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts. He has represented clients in various legal stages, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the litigation process.
Mr. Sabongui began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the District Attorney’s office in New York, where he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases. He worked as a trial prosecutor in the Special Victims and Sex Crimes unit, litigating and trying numerous criminal jury and bench trials. In 1999, he joined Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach in New York, handling the defense of physicians, hospitals, and medical treaters in medical malpractice cases. In 2000, he moved to California and started with Rinos & Martin, specializing in the defense of public entities, eventually becoming a partner. He primarily handled catastrophic injury and civil rights lawsuits, dangerous condition cases, as well as medical malpractice lawsuits brought against various County hospitals. In 2021, he joined Yoka | Smith, LLP, continuing his focus on defense litigation.
Mr. Sabongui is fluent in both English and Arabic, enabling him to serve a diverse clientele effectively. He has been a member of the California State Bar since 1994 and the New York State Bar since 1995. His extensive experience in both state and federal courts underscores his versatility and commitment to his clients.
