Practice Areas:
Employment
Jurisdictions:
Biography
As one of the nation's leading plaintiff-side employment and civil rights litigators, Ella's practice sits at the intersection of workplace rights, whistleblower advocacy, technology, cross-border disputes, and the advancement of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
In 2019, she founded Sanford Heisler's Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice Group, the first and only dedicated practice of its kind at a national civil rights firm, and helped launch the firm’s Palo Alto Office in 2022. Together, these initiatives established Ella’s role in Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight’s growth, opened new cross-border U.S.-China litigation pathways, and expanded the firm’s presence in Silicon Valley.
Ella represents employees across the economic spectrum in individual and class actions involving wage and hour violations, discrimination and harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims. She represents executives and managerial personnel in litigation and privately negotiated settlements.
Her pre-litigation practice includes representing C-suite employees and whistleblowers. She frequently represents whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits under the False Claims Act and in matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the SEC and IRS Whistleblower programs, and other fraud statutes.
Ella has led some of the most significant employment and whistleblower matters involving Silicon Valley companies and has achieved substantial results in both class actions and individual lawsuits addressing systemic workplace misconduct.
Beyond her practice, Ella serves as Board President of YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley, serves on NAPABA’s Nominating Committee, and is Co-Chair of its Women Leadership Network. She is a former President and current Board Member of the Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area (CALOBA) and serves on the boards of the Chinese American Lawyers Forum (CALF), Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA), San Diego Chinese Attorneys Association (SDCAA), and General Association of Zhejiang Entrepreneurs. She also serves on the Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF)’s DEIJ Committee.
Ella has received extensive national and regional recognition, including:
In 2019, she founded Sanford Heisler's Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice Group, the first and only dedicated practice of its kind at a national civil rights firm, and helped launch the firm’s Palo Alto Office in 2022. Together, these initiatives established Ella’s role in Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight’s growth, opened new cross-border U.S.-China litigation pathways, and expanded the firm’s presence in Silicon Valley.
Ella represents employees across the economic spectrum in individual and class actions involving wage and hour violations, discrimination and harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims. She represents executives and managerial personnel in litigation and privately negotiated settlements.
Her pre-litigation practice includes representing C-suite employees and whistleblowers. She frequently represents whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits under the False Claims Act and in matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the SEC and IRS Whistleblower programs, and other fraud statutes.
Ella has led some of the most significant employment and whistleblower matters involving Silicon Valley companies and has achieved substantial results in both class actions and individual lawsuits addressing systemic workplace misconduct.
Beyond her practice, Ella serves as Board President of YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley, serves on NAPABA’s Nominating Committee, and is Co-Chair of its Women Leadership Network. She is a former President and current Board Member of the Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area (CALOBA) and serves on the boards of the Chinese American Lawyers Forum (CALF), Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA), San Diego Chinese Attorneys Association (SDCAA), and General Association of Zhejiang Entrepreneurs. She also serves on the Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF)’s DEIJ Committee.
Ella has received extensive national and regional recognition, including:
- National Law Journal’s Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar (2026)
- Chambers and Partners, Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation (2025–2026)
- Daily Journal Top Labor & Employment Lawyer (2022–present)
- Silicon Valley Business Journal AAPI Leadership Award (2026)
- NAPABA Best Under 40 Award (2025)
- The Daily Journal Top Women Lawyer (2024–2025)
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights and Plaintiff Employment Lawyers (2023–2025)
- Asian Leadership Award, Profiles in Leadership Journal (2025)
- Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2025)
- Profiles in Diversity Journal Asian Leadership Award (2023–2025)
- Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence (2023)
- National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar (2022)
- Law360 Rising Star (2022)
- Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016–2026)
Recent matter/case highlights
- Devin Kim v. xAI and SpaceX
Filed a groundbreaking lawsuit on behalf of a former xAI engineer alleging retaliation and termination after raising AI safety and compliance concerns. The matter addresses how whistleblower protections apply within the artificial intelligence industry.
- Dandan Pan v. Qualcomm Inc.
Served as class counsel representing approximately 3,400 female STEM employees alleging systemic gender and pregnancy discrimination. Secured a $19.5 million settlement along with significant programmatic reforms addressing pay and promotion inequities.
- Yuhui Chen v. InnoGrit Corporation
Represented a co-founder of InnoGrit in a high-stakes arbitration and secured an award exceeding $8.3 million, including punitive damages.
- Song and Ji v. Weee!
Obtained a $4.9 million settlement on behalf of approximately 1,400 delivery drivers in a class and PAGA action involving labor violations and workplace safety concerns.
- Teresa Brooke v. Aurora Behavioral Healthcare
Served as co-lead counsel in securing a $2.85 million settlement under California’s Private Attorneys General Act and achieved workplace reforms benefiting healthcare workers.
Key practice areas
- Class action
- Labor and employment
- Plaintiff
Sector expertise
- Banking
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Investment management
- Pharmaceutical and life sciences
- Technology and telecommunications
Academic qualifications
- LL.M., Thomas Jefferson School of Law, 2010
- LL.B., Zhejiang University, 2009
Association memberships
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) – Nominating Committee; Co-Chair, Women Leadership Network
- Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area (CALOBA) – Former President; Board Member
- Chinese American Lawyers Forum (CALF) – Board Member
- Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) – Board Member
- San Diego Chinese Attorneys Association (SDCAA) – Board Member
- General Association of Zhejiang Entrepreneurs – Board Member
- YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley – Board President
- Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF) DEIJ Committee
Bar Admissions
- New York State Bar, 2011
- California State Bar, 2012
Address:
Tel:+16505475991
Email:Contact this practitioner
Website:https://sanfordheisler.com/team/qiaojing-ella-zheng/
300 Hamilton Avenue, 5th Floor
Palo Alto, CA, 94301