Overview

Bao Vu is a California trial lawyer representing clients in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and across the state in complex business litigation, consumer class actions, and regulatory disputes. Known for strategic, results-driven advocacy, Bao delivers practical, business-focused solutions for clients ranging from Bay Area startups to multinational corporations nationwide.  He has been recognized in leading legal publications and industry lists, including as a Top 40 Under 40 honoree.   

A seasoned commercial litigation attorney, Bao has defended clients in state and federal courts across California and nationwide. He has extensive experience handling shareholder and founder disputes, competitor claims, breaches of contract, and complex business torts across industries including e-commerce, fintech, technology, commercial lending, manufacturing, and renewable energy. 

Bao also maintains a robust practice as a class action defense lawyer, representing consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands against consumer fraud, unfair competition, and warranty breach lawsuits.  He routinely advises and defends companies facing product safety and compliance investigations brought by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other federal, state, or local authorities.

A leading California Proposition 65 lawyer, Bao is often hired by brands facing Proposition 65 Notices of Violation alleging novel exposure theories, involving complex scientific issues. Recently, that has included allegations of hexavalent chromium (Cr6) in leather, diethanolamine (DEA) and cocamide DEA in personal care products, titanium dioxide in makeup, and BPA and PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA) in textiles. He and his team also defend brands facing allegations involving historically enforced chemicals, such as heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury) and phthalates (BBP, DEHP, DIDP, DBP, DnHP, DINP). Bao is often interviewed for articles and podcasts, and invited to speak at large trade association conferences about his robust industry insights.

Early in his career, Bao gained critical federal court insight working as a judicial extern for the Honorable James Ware, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and the Honorable Roger L. Efremsky, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California.  

Beyond his litigation practice, Bao serves as Chair of Stoel Rives’ firmwide Inclusion Committee, leading initiatives across the firm to ensure equal recruiting, retention, and career advancement opportunities for all attorneys.  He is also deeply committed to community leadership in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, serving on the boards of multiple nonprofit organizations.

Education

University of California, Davis School of Law, J.D., Public Service Certificate; Managing Editor, UC Davis Law Review; Senior Editor, Environmental Law and Policy Journal; Witkin Award in Environmental Law

University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., Psychology, with honors

Admissions

California

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California

United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California

Experience

Bao’s representative experience includes:

Consumer & Environmental

  • Trial counsel in federal litigation defending clients alleged of exceeding bacteria limits in stormwater discharges in violation of the Clean Water Act.
  • Defense of industrial and energy-sector clients in California and nationwide against common law and Proposition 65 claims alleging environmental impacts, including air or occupational exposure and water discharges of chemicals such as arsenic, benzene, hexavalent chromium, tetrachloroethylene (PERC), and PFAS compounds including PFOA and PFOS.
  • Representation of multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporations in complex class action defense litigation related to genetically modified crops.
  • Defense of corporate clients in consumer protection and regulatory matters, including allegations of improper “greenwashing” claims (e.g., “biodegradable” or “all natural”) and failure to disclose hazardous substances under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.
  • Advising clients in automotive, consumer product, food, and dairy industries on FTC Green Guides compliance, including substantiation of environmental and carbon reduction claims, covering direct, indirect, and electricity-related emissions

Business

  • Representation of founders, shareholders, and partners in numerous multimillion-dollar disputes involving ownership interests in business ranging from technology and flooring companies to professional services firms.
  • Representation of numerous solar project developers in multimillion-dollar disputes throughout the U.S. involving asset purchase/membership interest agreements; power purchase agreements (PPA); engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreements; supplier agreements; and commercial leases.
  • Representation of fintech company in contractual dispute involving allocation of interchange
  • Trial and appellate counsel for asphalt plant operator in mineral trespass lawsuit brought by gold dredging company seeking disgorgement damages exceeding $10M. Sierra Dev., Inc. v. George Reed, Inc., 145 Cal. App. 5th 663 (2017).
  • Arbitration counsel for recycling corporation in multimillion-dollar indemnity dispute concerning largest metals recycling facility in California.
  • Arbitration counsel for national qui tam law firm in multimillion-dollar professional negligence
  • Briefed and argued to defend judgment secured on behalf of banking special servicer before the California Court of Appeal in case involving effect of bankruptcy discharge.
  • Briefed and assisted with argument to defend order denying remand to state court secured on behalf of special servicer before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Corral v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., 878 F.3d 770 (9th Cir. 2017).
  • Briefed and assisted with argument to defend order appointing receiver over three commercial centers in Puerto Rico on behalf of special servicer before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First
  • Briefed and assisted with argument to defend judgment secured on behalf of test and measuring device company in case involving employment discrimination.

Competitors

  • Defense of road construction company against bid rigging, price fixing, and market allocation antitrust claims.
  • Defense of metals fabricator against trade secret misappropriation and related
  • Defense of medical foods company against competitor’s false advertising and labeling and related claims.

Insights

Insights & Presentations

  • “Legal Updates on Prop 65 and PFAS,” Footwear Distributors and Retailers Association (FDRA) 2025 Compliance Conference, Boston, MA, May 13, 2025
  • “Warning: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other Reproductive Harm” (guest), 99% Invisible podcast, March 5, 2024
  • "Compliance Blind Spots: Legal Issues for Footwear,” FDRA Shoe Trade & Logistics Strategy Summit, Portland, OR, September 20, 2023
  • “Made Where? The Complications of Using ‘Made in the USA’ on Your Spirit” (co-author), Artisan Spirit Magazine, Summer 2023
  • “Earth Island Institute appealing greenwashing case won by Coca-Cola” (quoted), EconoTimes, December 30, 2022
  • “Coca-Cola Wins in Greenwashing Suits Show Hazy Marketing Limits” (quoted), Bloomberg Law, December 29, 2022
  • “The State of Corporate Racial Justice Initiatives,” The Bar Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, August 17, 2022
  • “Prop 65 Updates: Chrome VI in leather, BPA in socks, new short form warning labels,” FDRA Product Safety Digital Conference, April 7, 2022
  • “9th Circuit Ruling Halts Prop 65 Acrylamide Lawsuits, Again” (co-author), The Recorder.com, March 31, 2022
  • “It’s Not Easy Being Green: Legal Considerations for Marketing Your Sustainability Efforts” (co- author), Artisan Spirit Magazine, Fall 2021
  • “California Labeling Law Updates You Need To Be Concerned With Now,” 2021 Retail Value Chain Federation (RVCF) Annual Fall Conference, Scottsdale, AZ, November 8, 2021
  • “Regulatory Updates Affecting The Shoe Industry,” Strategic Partner Discussion, FDRA Shoe Supply Chain Digital Summit, July 19, 2021
  • “Industry Chat on COVID-19’s Effect On Product Safety Laws and Regulations,” American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Newport Beach, CA, July 2021
  • “Alert: Uptick of Consumer Claims Against Allegedly Misleading Green Advertising,” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, June 8, 2021
  • “Legal Requirements for Environmental Marketing,” AAFA Open-Industry Webinars, June 2021
  • “Proposition 65 and Other Labeling Updates,” FDRA Footwear Product Safety Digital Conference, May 26, 2021
  • “Dizzying CA Proposition 65 Developments Create Compliance Uncertainties for Businesses,” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, April 6, 2021
  • “Regulatory Update,” AAFA 2021 Product Safety & Compliance Seminar, Newport Beach, CA, February 9–10, 2021
  • “CA Prop 65 Regulations Amended to Allow Vendors and Retailers to Shift Liability (But Beware),” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, October 13, 2020
  • “Marketing Shoe ‘Sustainability’—What you can, cannot, and shouldn’t say about your sustainable shoes,” FDRA Digital Shoe Sustainability Summit, September 4, 2020
  • “Complying With The Law While Marketing That You’re ‘Going Green’,” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, June 10, 2020
  • “While Washington State Eyes Regulations Involving Electronics, Carpet, Printing Inks, Food Cans, Laundry Detergent, Thermal Paper, Vinyl Flooring, and Fragrances, You Should Start Planning Now,” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, April 2, 2020
  • “New Consumer Product Laws for 2020 You Need to Know About,” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, February 11, 2020
  • “Case Study: You’ve Been Served,” FDRA Product Safety & Compliance Seminar, Long Beach, CA, February 5, 2020
  • “What Your Company Needs to Know About Social Media Influencers” (with co-author Melissa Jones), The Legal Intelligencer, August 29, 2019
  • “New CA Proposition 65 Enforcement Trend: PVC and Vinyl Packaging,” RVCF Quarterly Newsletter, August 5, 2019

Recognition

  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America® (Litigation—Environmental), 2025–present
  • Listed among Rising Stars (Business Litigation, Environmental Litigation) Northern California Super Lawyers®, 2019–present
  • Selected by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal as a Top 40 Under 40 honoree, 2022
  • “Newly Minted Second Hundred Litigation Partners Open Up About What It Takes to Make It” (quoted), Law.com, June 13, 2022
  • “How I Made Partner,” Law.com, June 2, 2021

Affiliations

Civic

Industries

Jump to Page