Claudia M. Vetesi
Claudia is renowned for her experience in advising clients on advertising and marketing compliance, including managing pre-litigation risk regarding advertising claims. She represents clients in consumer class action cases and complex litigation, including unfair business competition, false advertising, and product liability. She regularly handles matters before the National Advertising Division (NAD) and competitive advertising disputes. Claudia represents clients across a broad range of industries, from food and beverage to technology.
Claudia is a leading partner in MoFo’s Food & Agriculture group. Ranked Band 1 in Chambers Agribusiness, this cross-disciplinary group has helped shape the industry for more than two decades. From disruptive new food startups to Fortune 50 companies, Claudia provides food and agriculture clients with holistic, innovative strategies that addresses their most pressing legal challenges and mission critical transactions.
Claudia is also a longtime leader in MoFo’s pro bono program. She has represented asylum seekers and others in immigration proceedings, including traveling to El Paso, Texas, to work with families separated and detained at the border. She has also worked on matters relating to reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, and criminal justice reform.
Claudia previously served as a Lawyer Representative for the Northern District of California and is a board member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Diversity and Justice Committee, San Francisco Law Library, and Bay Area Legal Aid. She is also a member of the San Francisco Raza and the Hispanic Bar Association. She received her J.D. degree in 2004 from Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall School of Law).
Experience
Consumer Electronics Company
- Obtained denial of class certification with prejudice in a matter involving alleged issues with use of cellular data in cellular phones. The court emphasized that the deficiences were fundamental and uncurable. The plaintiff declined to appeal.
- Represents client in a putative nationwide consumer class action alleging false advertising and warranty claims relating to alleged headphone defects, including claims under the CLRA, UCL, FAL, and consumer protection statutes of all 50 states.
- Defended client in a class action alleging product defect, breach of warranty, and misrepresentation claims with respect to its keyboard design. The court granted Plaintiff’s motion for class certification, and a settlement was reached.
Luxury Home Furnishings Retailer
- Represents a luxury home furnishing retailer in a putative consumer class action lawsuit challenging the use of a 4% surcharge at its California restaurants, alleging the surcharge is deceptive and insufficiently disclosed.
Health Supplement Retailer
- Advises a health suplement retailer on food regulatory and advertising compliance issues, advertising claims and threatened litigation, including packaging, digital marketing, and competitor involving comparative advertising.
Nature’s Path Foods
- Represented Nature’s Path in securing dismissal without leave to amend of a food labeling class action involving alleged implied health claims.
Organic Food Company
- Defending a food company in an arbitration regarding a supplier recall.
Suja Juices
- Represented Suja Juices in obtaining a statement of decision in Proposition 65 litigation based on plaintiff’s failure to establish a prima facie showing exposure to cadmium.
Unilever USA Inc.
- Secured summary judgement for Unilever in a long-running false advertising lawsuit involving its “I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!” spray product.
- Successfully moved to dismiss a putative class action alleging that Maille-brand mustard labels deceptively implied the products were made in France when the products are actually made in Canada.
- Won early summary judgment on claims under California’s consumer protection laws relating to alleged safety claims concerning the popular St. Ives Apricot Scrub line.
Nature’s Path Foods and Sprouts Farmers Market
Obtained dismissal of alleged food mislabeling claims for failure to show subject matter jurisdiction.
Iovate Health Sciences, International
Secured dismissal of slack-fill claims involving protein powders, with the court finding the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege deception where the net weight of the product was displayed on the front label.
Granola and Cereal Retailer
Advises client, a maker of granola, oatmeals, and cereals, on complex food regulatory and advertising issues, including labeling compliance, slack-fill considerations, website content, and substantiation of marketing claims. Provides FDA and FTC risk assessments supporting product launches, promotional campaigns, and brand positioning, and represents the client in website accessibility and ADA-related litigation.
Rankings
Recommended in Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes
The Legal 500 US 2025
Recognized Practitioner in Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation (Nationwide)
Chambers USA 2024-2025
Recommended in Product Liability, Mass Torts, and Class Action (Defense) for Toxic Tort
The Legal 500 US 2022, 2024
Named "Other Key Lawyer" in Advertising and Marketing Litigation
The Legal 500 US 2021-2025
Named "Other Key Lawyer" in Product Liability, Mass Torts, and Class Action for Consumer Products
The Legal 500 US 2021
Recommended in Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, Mass Tort, and Class Action: Consumer Products (including Tobacco) – Defense
The Legal 500 US 2018-2019, 2023-2025
Recommended in Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action (Defense) for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
The Legal 500 US 2024
Recommended in Media, Technology and Telecoms: Advertising and Marketing Litigation
The Legal 500 US 2021-2025