Bruce Nye

BRUCE NYE became a trial lawyer in 1977. He has been an active mediator since 2016. He is peer rated AV, the highest ranking for attorneys, in the Martindale-Hubble directory. He has been selected to Super Lawyers as a top-rated San Francisco civil litigator in 2005 and 2007 through 2021.He retired from practicing law in May, 2021, but is still licensed, and remains an active mediator.

MEDIATION PRACTICE: Effective May 1, 2016, Bruce began offering his services as a mediator. He brings to this practice a perspective that comes from decades of representing both plaintiffs and defendants, an ability to understand and empathize with complex and emotionally fraught problems and feelings, and a listening skill that has been repeatedly recognized over the years by clients and members of the bench. Bruce is available for mediating matters in litigation and many non-litigation disputes such as internal employment and neighborhood disputes. Bruce has received certification for successfully completed training with renowned mediation trainers Steve Rosenberg and Forrest “Woody” Marsden.

Bruce is proud to be a member of the mediation panels of Bar Association of San Francisco and Alameda County Superior Court.

ARBITRATION: For many years, Bruce has served as an arbitrator for the San Francisco Superior Court, and has arbitrated more than fifty cases.

LITIGATION PRACTICE: Throughout his career, Bruce successfully tried cases involving chemical exposure, personal injujry, product liability, machine design, civil rights, wrongful termination and other employment issues, sexual harassment, breach of contract, government liability, premises liability and California’s Proposition 65.

Bruce has practiced law in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1977, has managed litigation throughout the United States and has tried cases in all nine Bay Area counties and much of the State of California. He has tried more than fifty cases to verdict. He has been part of a trial team that successfully won declaratory relief against the State of California under Proposition 65, California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. He lead and briefed the successful appeal in the same matter, Baxter Healthcare Corporation v. Denton (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 333. He also successfully tried a multi-million dollar gender discrimination and sexual harassment case for a plaintiff. He has acted as state-wide court-appointed liaison counsel in major unfair competition law litigation.

PROPOSITION 65: Before May, 2021, when he retired from practicing law, Bruce devoted a substantial amount of his time to representing companies of all sizes and types in claims and litigation brought under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, commonly known as Proposition 65. He has successfully defended companies, achieved cost-effective settlements and often provided compliance advice. With his strong trial and settlement experience in this unique field of practice, he is uniquely qualified to mediate Proposition 65 disputes.

Why mediate with Bruce Nye?

After almost forty years as a successful California trial lawyer, I've decided to lay down my sword and move from warrior to peacemaker. Whether it's a personal injury or product liability case, a real estate, commercial or consumer dispute, a Proposition 65 matter or a neighborhood disagreement, I enjoy helping the parties control their own fates. I began working as a mediator in May, 2016, and so far, more than 75% of the disputes I've worked on have resolved. I am really enjoying helping lawyers, clients and members of the community reach settlements that satisfy everyone. 

EDUCATION:

Bruce received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley (1973) and his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law, University of California (1977), where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and The Thurston Society.

In 2016, Bruce completed a forty hour mediation training with renowned mediator and teacher Steven Rosenberg, as well as a one day training course with Forest "Woody" Marsden. In 2020, he participated in and completed an Advanced Mediation course with Mr. Rosenberg.

Bruce is admitted to practice in all California state courts, in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

After hours, Bruce is very active in his community. He is a member of the Alameda County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco. He is a founding member of Make Oakland Better Now!, a citizens advocacy group supporting public safety, public works, transparency and accountability and budget reform. He is a long-time member of Oakland Rotary, the third oldest Rotary club in the world, with whom he is very active in a variety of He is also an active photographer. (www.flickr.com/photos/brucenye) OTHER INFORMATION: Bruce is the publisher of, and a frequent blogger at CalBizLit where he provides current information and perspective about civil litigation in California.  

Bruce Nye
Mediator and Arbitrator

Mailing address:

94 Hermosa Ave
Oakland, California 94618

Phone:    415-577-9453

E-mail:   [email protected]