Thanh Ngo has practiced law in Northern California for almost 20 years and has tried 38 jury trials. Mr. Ngo served as a senior prosecutor in three counties in Northern California (Santa Clara, San Francisco and Santa Cruz) where he prosecuted thousands of criminal cases. Mr. Ngo has handled cases from simple battery, to theft, to homicide and complex fraud investigations. Mr. Ngo has tried cases involving driving under the influence, vehicular manslaughter, complex drug conspiracy, sexual assault, domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, child molestation and drug manufacturing cases.

Mr. Ngo is an accomplished and nationally recognized attorney. In 2010, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) recognized Mr. Ngo with the Trailblazer Award for his legal work and tenacious advocacy. Mr. Ngo has also been honored by many local and community groups for his leadership and advocacy, such as the California Highway Patrol and the Asian Law Alliance.

Mr. Ngo is an expert in the field of narcotics, having worked with both state and federal narcotics agencies. In Santa Clara County, Mr. Ngo is one of the first prosecutors in the county to use state wiretap laws to investigate large drug trafficking organizations. Similarly, in Santa Cruz County, he led the countywide narcotics task force charged with the prosecution of large-scale manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine. He is familiar with the complexities and limitations of wiretap laws and how to effectively prevent the introduction of potential damaging evidence in court. He has handled hundreds of large narcotics cases, including cases involving dozens of defendants in complex conspiracies. He has tried numerous cases involving the illicit manufacturing of methamphetamine and PCP. He understands the challenges of prosecuting and defending large narcotics conspiracy charges.

Mr. Ngo received his law degree from UCLA School of Law after completing his Bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College. After law school, Mr. Ngo began his legal career by working with public housing tenants and fighting for their rights while working as a staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus. There, he challenged the Housing and Urban Department’s unfair and race-based policies. Through community organizing and a federal lawsuit, he was able to force the federal government to change their policies to improve the housing conditions for those clients.

Mr. Ngo is active and has led many community-based organizations and civil rights organizations. He is a founding member of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California and its Law Foundation, which rewards a public interest fellowship annually.  He was also President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley. Mr. Ngo has served as a member of the Board of Directors for groups such as the Asian Law Alliance, Santa Clara County Human Relations Commissions, Santa Clara County Bar Association, BAYMEC, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Vietnamese American Civil Rights Coalition, Huong Viet Community Center, VNHelp, the National LGBT Bar Association, and Community United Against Violence.

Mr. Ngo speaks Vietnamese proficiently and is conversational in Spanish. Mr. Ngo spent a semester in Mexico City at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).