Willkie boosts litigation and white collar defense practice with new hire in the US

Michael Li-Ming Wong is a former clerk to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Willkie boosts litigation and white collar defense practice with new hire in the US

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has welcomed Michael Li-Ming Wong as a partner in the litigation department, and as co-chair of the firm’s national white-collar defense group in the US. He is based in the firm’s San Francisco and Palo Alto offices.

Wong is the former chief of white collar crimes at the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California, and a former clerk to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He focuses his practice on white-collar criminal matters, complex civil litigation, data privacy matters, and internal investigations.

“Michael is a talented litigator with deep experience and a successful track record guiding clients through high-stakes white collar, civil litigation, privacy and investigations matters,” said Simona Agnolucci, who serves as managing partner of the San Francisco office with Benedict Hur. “He’s a significant asset to our growing Bay Area litigation team and we are thrilled to welcome him to Willkie,” added Hurr. 

Wong has tried more than 20 civil and criminal jury trials in federal and state courts, including several multi-week jury trials in recent years.  He has led global investigations and enforcement matters, including those involving allegations of FCPA violations, fraud and trade secrets violations, and has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile matters involving alleged data breaches. He was most recently a partner at Gibson Dunn.  

“Willkie has an unparalleled reputation when it comes to high-stakes litigation and investigations, a dynamic Bay Area litigation team and truly collaborative firm culture,” said Wong. “I’m excited to be a part of that and look forward to leveraging my experience to advise our clients on critical litigation matters, including in emerging areas of the law.”

Wong’s arrival follows the addition of former Google regulatory and litigation counsel Michael Rome, who joined Willkie’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices as a partner in November.