An Nguyen Ruda is the CEO and Co-Managing Partner of Bartko Pavia LLP. She arrived in this country from Vietnam at five years old, built her career from the ground up, and since taking the helm in January 2023, has driven the firm’s expansion from a single San Francisco office to a bicoastal platform spanning Los Angeles and New York City.
An builds things. She shapes strategy, grows markets, and makes the operational decisions that determine what kind of firm Bartko Pavia becomes. Her focus is on positioning the firm as the premier elite boutique for clients who need sophisticated, senior-level counsel — not a large firm’s overhead and bureaucracy.
Her industry expertise runs deep in labor and employment, where she advises executives and boards on workforce strategy, organizational risk, and high-stakes restructuring. In one of the largest healthcare bankruptcies in the country, she renegotiated seven collective bargaining agreements in 70 days to close a time-sensitive transaction. Clients ranging from family businesses to Fortune 500 companies trust her to solve complex problems quickly and without unnecessary litigation.
An is equally invested in the next generation of legal talent. She mentors young lawyers with the same directness she brings to her clients — pushing them to lead with confidence, think like business owners, and build careers that are distinctly their own.
An is a Northern California Super Lawyer (2022–2025). She holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Santa Clara University School of Law and a B.A. with highest honors from UC Berkeley.
