Partner Saba Bireda

Saba Bireda is a Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and Co-Chair of the firm’s Discrimination and Harassment Practice Group.

Since joining Sanford Heisler Sharp, Saba has been named by the National Law Journal as one of Washington, DC’s Rising Stars. The Profiles in Diversity Journal also recognized her among its Women Worth Watching in Leadership and as a Black Leader Worth Watching. Saba was recently named a Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyer and recognized on the National Black Lawyers Top 100 list.

At Sanford Heisler Sharp, Saba’s practice has focused on discrimination, harassment, and retaliation matters, representing individuals and classes. Saba’s representations have included:

Litigating on behalf of a class of African American deputy U.S. Marshals and candidates for deputy U.S. Marshal positions in their hiring, promotions, and headquarters assignments claims against the U.S. Marshals Service
Litigating a multi-plaintiff pay discrimination case against Chadbourne & Park LLP, including successfully opposing the firm’s motion for summary judgment
Litigating on behalf of three former African American employees in their claims of race harassment against the Kraft Heinz Company
Co-authoring a Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of members of Congress in Bank of America/Wells Fargo v. City of Miami
Negotiating a confidential seven-figure exit package, including a pre-resignation title change, for a female executive with race and age discrimination claims against an international corporation
Negotiating a confidential six-figure exit package for BigLaw associate with race discrimination and retaliation claims
Negotiating a confidential settlement, including an accelerated grant of stock options and an expedited promotion schedule, for a tech company employee with race discrimination claims
Persuading the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to issue findings of discrimination against a state agency for gender-based pay discrimination

Saba received her law degree from Harvard Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University. While at Harvard, Saba was an Executive Articles Editor for the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and a teaching assistant for Professor Lani Guinier.

Saba is a member of the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania (inactive) bars. Saba has written and spoken on a variety of topics related to civil rights, employment law, and education. She has authored and been quoted in articles that have appeared in publications such as The American Lawyer and Law360. Saba has served as an adjunct professor at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law and the American University School of Education. She is a member of the DC Bar Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee, the Washington Council of Lawyers, the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the National Bar Association, and on the board of the National Student Legal Defense Network. Saba was appointed by DC Mayor Muriel Bower to serve two terms on the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board.

Before joining Sanford Heisler Sharp, Saba was a member of the senior political staff at the U.S. Department of Education, including two years in the Office for Civil Rights, during the Obama Administration. She also worked as a lawyer with Morgan Lewis and the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania. Saba started her career as a middle school English teacher in Washington, DC as a member of Teach for America.

When Saba is not lawyering, she enjoys volunteering in her adopted hometown of Washington, DC and spending time with her family.

Education

J.D., Harvard Law School
B.A., Stanford University

Clinics

Trial Advocacy Workshop
Criminal Justice Institute
Trauma and Learning Policy

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania, 2007 (currently inactive status)
District of Columbia

Court Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Determined resolve & expert advice.

"Saba Bireda and team [James Hannaway and Niamh Lang] helped us navigate a challenging time, both professionally and personally, with determined resolve, expert advice and consistent kindness—we were grateful to have them on our side."
– David W., Investor & Advisor

Unwavering focus.

"I wanted to thank in particular Saba Bireda for her unwavering focus, patience, diligence and legal acumen. Excellent job…really well done. Many thanks to both her and her team for hanging in there with me. They are perfectionists and the result speaks for itself. And, of course, thanks to David Sanford for providing the strong foundation/strategy and for matching me with his team! Wow! I am still smiling with happiness from the result! I finally am sleeping at night and a huge burden has been lifted. Thank you... It means everything to me… I couldn’t be happier."
– A Female Television Executive

Attention to every detail.

"Thank you all so much for the incredible work you did to get us here! Your attention to every detail really lifted the burden of this whole ordeal for me and I am extremely grateful to Saba and her team. I'd also like to add that the expertise and thorough preparation this team brought to the table gave me complete confidence that we’d reach a desirable outcome and, ultimately, the resolution exceeded my expectations. I am extremely grateful to have worked with all of you through what was easily the most difficult experience in my career."
- Former Client and Associate at Am Law 100 Firm

Compassionate outstanding advocates.

"After suffering years of gender discrimination, enduring a hostile work environment and arguing for equal pay, my law firm attempted to turn the tables on me, even filing suit against me to silence me, when they realized that I was pursuing legal action against them. I was devastated after decades of excellent performance and loyalty to the firm, and oh so very vulnerable and feeling all alone. Words will never fully capture how grateful I am to Deborah Marcuse, who saw the injustice and unfairness and recognized the extreme impact it was having on me and my young family, for taking on my complicated case at a time when I know that she was beyond busy and for turning the tables back on the bad actors. The entire team, Deborah, Saba, [and] Lucy. . ., worked tirelessly on my behalf. They are an incredibly effective team and obtained a good result for me in mediation, but, most importantly, they were beyond compassionate. Thanks to Saba for the amazing brief she submitted in response to the ridiculous lawsuit and handling the preliminary negotiations. Lucy, thank you for keeping me in the loop and staying on top of everything. You made mediation so much more bearable. And Deborah, you have no idea how much you did for me – not only did you achieve a great result, you helped me at a time when I needed it most, and there wasn’t a single moment that you didn’t fully understand exactly how I was feeling. You helped me get my life back, and I will never forget that. If you find yourself in need of employment counsel, I highly recommend Sanford Heisler Sharp. They are excellent lawyers; defendants respect them, and they will help you navigate through the intense emotional experience so that you always know that you are not alone."
– Am Law 100 Partner

US Marshals Race Discrimination Class Action

In a class action race discrimination case, Sanford Heisler Sharp is counsel for the class, which includes over 700 current and former African American Deputy U.S. Marshals and Detention Enforcement Officers who have experienced racism in hiring, promotions, and headquarters assignments from 1994 to the present. The class also includes all African American candidates who applied for Deputy U.S. Marshal positions since 1994 but were never hired.

Maryland Unconstitutional Immigration Detention Class Action

The complaint alleges that during bond hearings before the Baltimore Immigration Court, the government violates the constitutional rights of detainees when it requires that a detainee, rather than the government, bear the burden of proving that they are not a flight risk or a danger to the community in order to be freed.

Fauquier County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuit

Fauquier County, Virginia, filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs.

Montgomery County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuit

Montgomery County filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs — including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson.

Lee County, VA and Norton Opioid Epidemic Lawsuit

Lee County and the City of Norton filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs — including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson.

Martinsville and Henry County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuit

Martinsville and Henry County filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs — including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson.

Norton Rose Fulbright/Chadbourne & Parke LLP Gender Discrimination Class Action – $3.1 Million Settlement

According to Plaintiff Kerrie Campbell, a nationally recognized trial lawyer and partner in Chadbourne’s Washington, DC office, female partners at the firm are excluded from positions of decision-making authority and receive less pay and bonuses even when they out-perform their male counterparts. There is only a one-tier partnership, with every partner characterized as an equity partner.

Page County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuit

Page County filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs — including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson.

Galax and Giles County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuits

Galax and Giles County filed the lawsuits in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs — including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson.

Washington County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuit

Washington County filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs — including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson.

Alexandria & Dickenson County, VA Opioid Epidemic Lawsuits

The City of Alexandria and Dickenson County, Virginia, represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp, and The Cicala Law Firm PLLC became the first municipalities in the Commonwealth of Virginia to pursue legal action against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for their role in creating the public health emergency caused by prescription opioids.

Blog

Client Testimonials

“We were grateful to have them on our side”
- David W., Investor & Advisor
“I wanted to thank in particular Saba Bireda for her unwavering focus, patience, diligence and legal acumen.”
- A Female Television Executive
“Thank you all so much for the incredible work you did to get us here!”
- Former Client and Associate at Am Law 100 Firm
“After suffering years of gender discrimination, enduring a hostile work environment and arguing for equal pay, my law firm attempted to turn the tables on me, even filing suit against me to silence me, when they realized that I was pursuing legal action ag”
- Am Law 100 Partner

Client Testimonials

“Saba Bireda and team [ James Hannaway and Niamh Lang ] helped us navigate a challenging time, both professionally and personally, with determined resolve, expert advice and consistent kindness—we were ...”
- David W., Investor & Advisor
“I wanted to thank in particular Saba Bireda for her unwavering focus, patience, diligence and legal acumen.”
- A Female Television Executive
“Thank you all so much for the incredible work you did to get us here!”
- Former Client and Associate at Am Law 100 Firm
“After suffering years of gender discrimination, enduring a hostile work environment and arguing for equal pay, my law firm attempted to turn the tables on me, even filing suit against me to silence me, when they realized that I was pursuing legal action ag”
- Am Law 100 Partner