As an attorney, Sonja Sonnenburg represents individuals and corporate clients in general and complex litigation in state and federal courts throughout California.  She has handled a variety of civil litigation matters involving antitrust and trade regulation, unfair competition, business torts, breach of contract, commercial speech, the California Public Records Act, and database security.  She also represents clients in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including arbitration and mediation.  She practices business litigation and provides antitrust and competition counseling at Scrittical, Inc. She previously practiced at a complex litigation firm in San Francisco.  In addition to practicing law, she devotes significant time to public interest matters. She is also a certified mediator.

In 2009, Sonja was appointed by the State Bar of California to serve a three-year term on the Bar’s Committee on Administration of Justice.  This standing committee studies and reports recommendations on proposed changes in civil procedure, court rules and administration, rules of evidence, and other matters having an impact on the administration of justice in civil courts.

Sonja co-authored the Unfair Practices Act chapter of California Antitrust and Unfair Competition (Matthew Bender, 2009).  For a free excerpt of the chapter from LexisNexis, click HERE.   She also provided content for Art and Museum Law: Cases and Materials (Carolina Academic Press, 2002); Newsgathering and the Law (2d. ed., Matthew Bender, 1999); and Entertainment Law: Legal Concepts and Business Practices (West Group, 1998).

Sonja received a B.A. in History from UCLA, where she also studied independent film producing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.  She received a J.D. from Southwestern Law School and received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award for antitrust and intellectual property.  While in law school, she clerked for the Federal Trade Commission, Los Angeles Regional Office.

Sonja is admitted to practice in the California state courts, all of the federal U.S. District Courts in California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  She is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association.

She is also an active supporter of artists and filmmakers.

Sonja grew up in Los Angeles and Sacramento, one of five children in a hardworking family educated in public schools.  In high school, she worked part-time to help support her family and save for college, rose early to attend 7 a.m. classical Latin classes, won city-wide debate competitions and went to the State Finals, and graduated near the top of her class.  Her mother’s family can be traced to the 1590s in New Mexico.  Her paternal great-grandfather and grandfather were beer brew masters.