Victoria L. Weatherford

She | Her | Hers

Partner

San Francisco
T +1.415.659.2634
F +1.415.659.2601

Overview

An accomplished first-chair trial lawyer, Victoria Weatherford possesses a wealth of experience at the state and local levels, including four years as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney's Office. She focuses her practice on a wide range of consumer protection and commercial litigation matters, with particular emphasis on representing clients in the technology and consumer products industries in class action and government investigation and enforcement matters.

Driven to help clients navigate the litigation process, Victoria often defends companies facing a complex constellation of litigation nationwide from private plaintiffs, government enforcers and private attorneys general. Victoria has first-chaired numerous trials to successful verdict in government and in private practice, including several cases alleging unfair competition and deceptive trade practices and false and misleading advertising. She pursues and preserves victories through appeal, and has successfully argued numerous writs and appeals to the California Courts of Appeal and Ninth Circuit. Victoria also regularly represents clients in state and local government investigations and counsels clients to proactively manage legal risk in advertising, marketing and business practices.

Victoria represents the San Francisco office on BakerHostetler's Pro Bono Committee.

Select Experience

California Government Investigations, Enforcement and Litigation

  • Defended a market-leading consumer products company in an enforcement action brought by the California Attorney General, Los Angeles District Attorney and Los Angeles County Counsel, alleging false and misleading advertising, public nuisance and unfair competition.

Other Representative Matters

  • Counseled a leading social media network company on FTC and state advertising law requirements for new product launch.
  • Defended a leading consumer electronics company in numerous class actions in state and federal courts alleging false advertising and product defects.
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Experience

California Government Investigations, Enforcement and Litigation

  • Defended a market-leading consumer products company in an enforcement action brought by the California Attorney General, Los Angeles District Attorney and Los Angeles County Counsel, alleging false and misleading advertising, public nuisance and unfair competition.
  • Defended a rideshare company in an enforcement action brought by the California Attorney General and the San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego City Attorneys, alleging the company has misclassified workers as independent contractors.
  • Representing a national franchisor in a multi-office district attorney investigation into its advertising and business practices.
  • Defended a delivery network company in an enforcement action brought by the San Francisco District Attorney, alleging the company has misclassified workers as independent contractors.
  • Represented a global logistics and shipping company in an investigation by the California Attorney General into its COVID-19 safety protocols.
  • Counsel for a California public utility in challenging a local ordinance passed unlawfully due to county corruption.
  • Represented a former technology company executive in a California DOJ consumer privacy investigation.

Other Representative Matters

  • Counseled a leading social media network company on FTC and state advertising law requirements for new product launch.
  • Represented a national pharmaceutical company as co-lead trial counsel in an opioid litigation brought by the Alabama Attorney General.
  • Defended a leading consumer electronics company in numerous class actions in state and federal courts alleging false advertising and product defects.
  • Lead counsel for a leading home share company in a consumer data privacy matter, winning a complete defense verdict after trial and serving as lead appellate counsel.
  • Advised a global logistics and shipping company on marketing compliance with FTC and state “truth in advertising” standards.
  • Defended a leading CRM service provider in post-trial proceedings and on appeal in a mass online tort action.
  • Represented a leading social media networking company in a data privacy class action lawsuit and appeal arising out of the Cambridge Analytica events.
  • Defended a pharmaceutical company in a “reverse payment” antitrust class action arising out of a prior patent litigation settlement for a diabetes treatment.
  • Defended a major consumer products company against false advertising class actions involving personal care products.
  • Defended a leading technology company against antitrust class action relating to alleged agreements among seven companies not to cold-call each other’s employees.
  • Represented a drug-discovery company in patent infringement suit involving metastatic melanoma treatment.
  • Represented a foreign-owned investment entity in post-trial and appellate proceedings in commercial fraud matter.
  • Defended an automobile component part manufacturer in multi-district antitrust litigation involving alleged global price-fixing agreements.
  • Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of a Fortune 500 global gaming company’s Audit Committee into alleged FCPA violations in Macau and Mainland China, and represented the Audit Committee in parallel DOJ and SEC investigations.
  • Represented a global energy company in a FTC investigation for “green” advertising.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • The Best Lawyers in America® 
    • "Ones to Watch" California: Appellate Practice (2023)
  • American Bar Association: "On the Rise - Top 40 Young Lawyers" (2020)
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Official Commendation and Certificate of Honor
    • For exceptional work enforcing short term rental laws and preserving San Francisco's affordable housing stock. (2018) 
    • For assisting 19 tenants living in a firetrap basement to find emergency housing, supportive services, and relocation payments from the landlord. (2017)
  • UCLA Center for American Politics and Public Policy: Alumni of the Year for distinguished record in public service or elected office. (2018)
  • Neighborhood Empowerment Network: Most Empowering City Employee of the Year (2017)  (The NEN is a San Francisco alliance of residents, neighborhood and merchant associations, nonprofits and faith–based organizations, foundations and academic institutions. The NEN implements programs to support communities as they build resilient neighborhoods, and which streamline community access to organizations, programs, resources, and technical support.) Simultaneously received official recognition and commendations from the California State Senate, California State Assembly, San Francisco Mayor, and San Francisco Assessor.

Memberships

  • Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of California
    • Northern District California Executive Committee (present)
    • National Task Force on Diversity (2017 to 2018)
  • Bar Association of San Francisco Barristers, Litigation Section: Co-chair (former)
  • UCLA Center for American Politics and Public Policy: Advisory Board
  • Council on Foreign Relations: Term Member
  • Carnegie Council: Carnegie New Leader
  • U.S.-Spain Council Young Leader (2018)
  • Leadership San Francisco graduate (2018 to 2019)
  • Pacific Council on International Policy
  • National Association of Attorneys General
  • ChIPs (Women in technology, law and policy), Silicon Valley Chapter

Publications

Alerts

Community

  • Yale Law School Fund: Board of Directors
  • San Francisco Opera Guild
    • Board of Directors
    • Executive Committee
  • YWCA Golden Gate - Silicon Valley (2014 to 2022)
    • Board of Directors
    • Executive Committee

Prior Positions

  • San Francisco City Attorney's Office: Deputy City Attorney (2014 to 2018)
  • The Honorable William B. Shubb, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California: Law Clerk
  • The Honorable Edward C. Prado, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit: Law Clerk

Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • California

Education

  • J.D., Yale Law School, 2009; Yale Law Journal, Notes Editor; Yale Journal on Regulation, Executive Editor
  • B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 2006, summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa

Blog

In The Blogs

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Antitrust Advocate
Report from the 2023 ABA Antitrust Section Annual Conference – UK, EU, and Canadian developments
By Victoria L. Weatherford
May 8, 2023
The recent annual ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C., once again brought together enforcers and counsel from around the world to discuss the hottest topics in global antitrust enforcement. We provide some of the key updates...
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AD-ttorneys Law Blog
Compliant Consumer Review Practices
By Amy Ralph Mudge, Victoria L. Weatherford
April 11, 2023
Join Amy Ralph Mudge and Victoria Weatherford on April 20 at 12:30 p.m. ET as they outline what you need to know to make sure your solicitation, moderation, and posting of reviews pass muster with the FTC, state AGs, NAD, and the courts...
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AD-ttorneys Law Blog
Roomster Gets a One-Star Review from the FTC and Six States
By Daniel Kaufman, Victoria L. Weatherford
September 2, 2022
2022 continues to be the Year of the Review for consumer protection law enforcers. We have seen several cases already this year, and the latest suit has the added bonus of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) teaming up with a bipartisan...
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AD-ttorneys Law Blog
FTC and the States — Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask
By Daniel Kaufman, Victoria L. Weatherford
March 3, 2022
A lot has been written about the impact of the Supreme Court’s AMG decision on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) future law enforcement approaches and strategies. One option is more administrative litigation, but that process can take...
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AD-ttorneys Law Blog
Look Back, Look Ahead: State Attorneys General Enforcement – Part Two
By Craig A. Hoffman, Victoria L. Weatherford
March 2, 2022
Last month, as part of BakerHostetler’s “Look Back, Look Ahead: Advertising and Marketing Law in 2021 & 2022” webinar series, partners Craig A. Hoffman and Victoria Weatherford presented on recent trends and predictions on state attorney...
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