Christopher Van Gundy is a Partner in the Firm's San Francisco office and is a member of the Litigation, FDA Regulatory Compliance, Chemical Law & Prop 65, and Products Liability Law Groups. He pursues a dual practice of representing consumer product companies in litigation, purported class actions and California Proposition 65 cases typically involving human and pet food, dietary supplements, e-vapor, tobacco, agricultural products, cosmetics, medical device, apparel, and other consumer products, as well as advising as to FDA/FTC/USDA regulatory compliance, substantiation, labeling claims, and product recalls. Selected matters handled by Mr. Van Gundy include false advertising litigation, organic claims, food-borne illness outbreaks, FSMA/HARPC, HACCP, PFAS and UPF claims, labeling and due diligence reviews for FDA and USDA regulated companies, litigation and regulation involving heavy metals, food safety audits, Noncompliance Reports, and state consumer protection laws.

For several years, Mr. Van Gundy has been USA Chambers rated for Food & Beverages: Regulatory and Litigation for clients in a wide variety of product categories - olive and other oils, fruit juice and purees, berries, retail food products, infant formula, cigars and other tobacco products, energy bars, seafood, health products, bread, cheese, alcoholic beverages, snack products, spices, vinegar, CBD/cannabis, and seaweed, to name a few. Previously, Mr. Van Gundy was the head of litigation for an affiliated group of food companies involving marquee brands of juice, bottled water, tree nuts and citrus.

As both in-house and outside counsel, Mr. Van Gundy has enjoyed extensive first chair case and trial responsibility in a wide variety of disputes under California and New York law involving class actions, unfair competition, unfair business practices, insurance, product liability, antitrust, trademark, state consumer false advertising, federal Lanham Act claims, food broker and grower disputes, pesticide regulation, federal marketing orders, real estate, environmental law, and supply chain disputes in federal, state, and foreign courts and arbitral tribunals. Mr. Van Gundy is one of the few lawyers to try false advertising food cases to a jury, which he uses to gain litigation strategy insights and settlement leverage for his clients. By leveraging his dual practice, Mr. Van Gundy is able to achieve optimal outcomes for his client by mitigating litigation risk or obtaining favorable results in litigation.

Bar Admissions
California

Education
University of California, Berkeley - School of Law, J.D.

Brown University, A.B. in Ancient Greek

Implications of the USDA's New Organic Rule

Navigating Food Labeling Litigation & Regulatory Hurdles in 2025 and Beyond

Product Labeling & Advertising Claims Check-Up Webinar

Cannabis Webinar Wednesday: Getting Your CBD/Hemp Product To Market- Current Issues in Risk Management

Christopher Van Gundy, Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service Honoree by the Justice & Diversity Center of The Bar Association of San Francisco

Christopher Van Gundy, Speaker at the Food and Dietary Supplement Safety and Regulation Conference-March 18

Food Product Recalls

Texas AG Opens Industry-Wide Protein Powder Investigation

Buchalter Attorneys Co‑Author 2026 Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide: Product Liability & Safety - California Trends & Developments

Anne Marie Ellis and Christopher Van Gundy Authored "How Texas' Protein Powder Probe Reflects Prop 65's Influence," Published by Law360

Christopher Van Gundy and Anne Marie Ellis Speak at Practising Law Institute Program, "Chemicals of Concern in the Food and Beverage Industry and Emerging Regulatory Burden and Liability Risks"

When Product Quality Becomes a State AG Issue: Texas's Expanding Scrutiny of Consumer-Health Claims

How Texas' Protein Powder Probe Reflects Prop 65's Influence