SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco federal judge has appointed Elizabeth Cabraser, co-founder of plaintiffs powerhouse Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, to lead litigation targeting Volkswagen A.G. over its diesel emissions scandal.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who is presiding over the VW multidistrict litigation (MDL), said the class would benefit from Cabraser’s experience as a leader in 17 other MDLs, including some involving automobile defects.