Hilarie Bako is a California employment and commercial litigation attorney and trial lawyer providing dispute resolution services to businesses, employers, executives, and entrepreneurs in complex civil litigation matters statewide, in both state and federal court. Her practice focuses on employer-side employment litigation and business litigation, including wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, and class action defense, as well as breach of contract, business torts, and other high-stakes commercial disputes. She also advises companies on risk management, pre-litigation strategy, and resolution through mediation and settlement.
Hilarie previously practiced at the global law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, where she served in the Commercial Litigation, Employment, and Mass Torts groups. She managed sophisticated cases involving breach of contract, tort claims, employment disputes, securities matters, and intellectual property litigation for Fortune 100/500 clients and emerging companies. She has led case teams through all phases of litigation—from pleadings and motion practice to discovery management, depositions, dispositive motions, mediation/settlement, and trial preparation—while maintaining disciplined budgets, deadlines, and practical, business-focused outcomes.
Hilarie previously practiced at the global law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, where she served in the Commercial Litigation, Employment, and Mass Torts groups. She managed sophisticated cases involving breach of contract, tort claims, employment disputes, securities matters, and intellectual property litigation for Fortune 100/500 clients and emerging companies. She has led case teams through all phases of litigation—from pleadings and motion practice to discovery management, depositions, dispositive motions, mediation/settlement, and trial preparation—while maintaining disciplined budgets, deadlines, and practical, business-focused outcomes.
- Employment litigation defense (management-side / employer-side): wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, Title VII claims, class actions, and related employment and workplace disputes. Employee side with respect to executive start up compensation, stock options, vesting and acceleration of equity in change of control events related to startups.
- Intellectual property protection and IP disputes (as related to business and employment matters): trademark, copyright, trade secret protection and enforcement, and technology-related disputes
- Commercial litigation / business litigation: breach of contract, complex contract disputes, business torts, real estate, commercial disputes, and executive/business partner conflict matters • Workplace investigations and internal investigations: independent, impartial investigations involving #MeToo, retaliation, whistleblower, conflict-of-interest, and compliance allegations
- Leading national state and federal breach-of-contract, unfair competition, interference with economic relationships, etc. litigation for an international shipping/logistics company
- Defending a class-action discrimination matter for a consumer internet dating company (including partial denial of class certification) under California’s Unruh Act
- Counseling a movie studio and technology startups on trademark, copyright, and trade secret protection; counseling a small business executive seller on Amazon accused of copyright infringement.
- Serving as trial counsel in a three-month products liability/mass tort trial for a subsidiary of an international chemical company, resulting in a complete defense verdict in a $100 million case
- Conducting independent, impartial workplace investigations for a large national coffee retailer involving #MeToo, retaliation, Title VII, whistleblower, and conflict-of-interest allegations
- Serving as California local counsel in employment litigation for a large financial institution.
- J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, cum laude
Executive Editor and Director of Development, Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law.
Extern for the Honorable Justice Willet of the Texas Supreme Court
- London School of Economics and Political Science.
B.Sc., 2004