Bao M. Vu

Bao Vu represents clients facing complex business disputes, consumer class actions, and state and federal regulatory investigations. Known for his strategic, results-driven courtroom advocacy, Bao’s clients range from Bay Area startups to multinational corporations. He has been recognized in leading legal publications and industry lists, including as a Top 40 Under 40 honoree.

Bao has extensive experience litigating 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 defending food and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands facing class action allegations of consumer fraud, unfair competition, and breach of warranty. He routinely advises and defends toy, furniture, and other manufacturers facing product safety and compliance investigations brought by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other federal, state, or local agencies.

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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

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.

News

Publications

Press Releases

• 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

Civic

• AIDS Legal Referral Panel, past member of Board of Directors
• Asian Law Alliance, past member of Board of Directors