Christine Wong focuses her practice on investigations, white collar criminal defense, and cross-border compliance matters. Christine draws on her unique background as an internal advisor and as a federal prosecutor in advising companies, boards and executives in a variety of matters that present significant legal and reputational risk – including white collar criminal and regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and related civil litigation. She also provides ongoing compliance advice to corporate clients. Christine has an active trial practice as first chair in both criminal and civil cases. 

Christine is a former co-chair of MoFo’s Global Litigation Department and the firm’s Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White Collar Defense practice group. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, where she taught Civil Trial Practice. Christine served as a federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and the Northern District of California, where she investigated a wide range of matters including public corruption, fraud, and organized crime, and served as lead counsel in over a dozen jury trials. She briefed criminal appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Christine is regularly recognized by leading industry publications, including The Legal 500 US in its Corporate Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense category and Chambers USA in its California Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations category. Clients have highlighted Christine’s “exceptional and unique background combining DOJ experience, in-house experience, handling complex investigations and negotiations with government agencies,” and noted that she is “responsive to all levels and her team command is second-to-none.” Christine was named to the Daily Journal’s 2026 list of Top Women Lawyers in California and the San Francisco Business Times’ 2026 list of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business. She was also highlighted in Global Investigations Review’s 2025 Women in Investigations series, recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026 for Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management. 

Before joining MoFo, Christine led the development and implementation of the global compliance program for a Fortune 500 multinational corporation, where she served as vice president, head of international compliance. In that capacity, she conducted risk assessments for dozens of entities, which resulted in enacting necessary amendments to business workflows and policies. She was responsible for managing investigations and related litigation, reviewing policies and procedures, developing and delivering training modules, and ultimately reporting to the board of directors.

Christine speaks conversational Mandarin and Cantonese.

Representative Experience

• Representing Hawaiian Telcom in all matters arising from the 2023 Maui Wildfires.
• Representing a waste management company in negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ and the resolution of a parallel civil lawsuit filed by local authorities related to a public corruption investigation.

• Conducting an internal investigation for a global commercial real estate services firm into whistleblower allegations of a kickback scheme involving India-based employees and third-party contractors, and advising on related employment, criminal law, and compliance matters.

• Representing Northerner Scandinavia, Inc. in a civil action brought by the City of San Francisco concerning alleged sales of flavored tobacco products and shipping requirements, resulting in a favorable mediated settlement.
• Representing a senior bank executive in a multi-agency investigation by the FBI, IRS, and FDIC involving allegations of campaign finance violations, fraud, bribery, money laundering, and espionage.
• Representing two advisers of a cryptocurrency exchange in responding to requests arising from the exchange’s internal investigation and a related DOJ investigation.
• Representing a venture capital fund in responding to regulatory inquiries from the DOJ, SEC, and CFTC.
• Representing Pacific Gas and Electric Company in investigations by the Safety and Enforcement Division of the California Public Utilities Commission and related proceedings pertaining to wildfires.
• Defending a Chinese semiconductor company indicted for theft of trade secrets and economic espionage.
• Representing employees of a company in an accounting and securities fraud investigation.
• Obtaining a declination for an individual in a criminal tax fraud investigation.
• Representing a senior executive in an accounting fraud investigation by the DOJ and the SEC.
• Counseling a multinational information technology equipment and services company on anti-bribery, antitrust and export control compliance.
• Counseling a multinational entertainment company on anti-bribery training, policies and procedures.

Professional Memberships

• American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, Vice-Chair
• Women in White Collar Defense Association, Committee Member of the San Francisco Chapter
• American Bar Association Northern District of California White Collar Subcommittee, Committee Member