Chiou Joins the Firm’s Los Angeles Office as a Partner After Serving as Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
Wilson Sonsini Has Added 11 Partners to Its Litigation Department in California Since March 2020
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Kelsey Dellovo
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jklein@baretzbrunelle.com
PALO ALTO, CA (August 16, 2022) – Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Christopher (Chris) Chiou has joined the firm’s litigation department as a partner in the Los Angeles office. He joins the firm’s expanding trial and commercial litigation practices after serving as Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Chiou joined the Department of Justice in 2019. Before serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chiou was a partner in Jenner & Block’s Los Angeles office, which he helped start in 2009 and where he handled white collar criminal defense, investigations, complex commercial litigation, and compliance matters.
“Adding Chris is the latest example of our progress toward building a litigation department with substantial depth and the talent needed to represent clients in their most challenging matters—from inquiries and investigations to complex class actions and trials,” said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. “In recent years, we’ve been particularly aggressive in adding accomplished attorneys like Chris, especially in California, and hope to continue expanding our litigation department across the U.S. We’re pleased to welcome Chris to the firm.”
Wilson Sonsini’s litigation department focuses on matters that often involve high-profile controversies, including complex commercial, intellectual property, securities, and other disputes, as well as government and internal investigations. The department has experienced significant growth over the past two-plus years. In California alone, Chiou is the 11th litigation partner to join the firm since March 2020, when Wilson Sonsini added Victor Jih in the Los Angeles office. By mid-2021, the firm had added three other experienced, first-chair trial lawyers as partners in California: Susan Kay Leader (Los Angeles), Amy Candido (San Francisco), and Jordan Jaffe (San Francisco). In November 2021, Wilson Sonsini brought aboard five accomplished litigation partners in Los Angeles with substantial experience with high-stakes trials, investigations, and appeals: Luis Li, Matthew Macdonald, Fred Rowley, Eric Tuttle (based in Los Angeles and Seattle), and Mark Yohalem. The firm also added Melissa Mills (Los Angeles) to its litigation department in June 2022.
“Chris’s talents and accomplishments during his time with the Department of Justice will serve him well as he returns to private practice and represents clients across a broad range of areas,” said Caz Hashemi, partner at Wilson Sonsini. “He has an impressive level of experience in high-profile investigations. We are excited he’s joined our growing litigation department.”
At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chiou oversaw criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the United States, including financial litigation, white collar crime, cybercrime, and public corruption. Chiou was the lead attorney on the investigation and prosecution of cyber intrusions committed by developers and affiliates behind ransomware-as-a-service, reinforced by his certification in information privacy and data protection by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Last year, Chiou also served on a nationwide task force to determine how the DOJ can more effectively combat hate crimes and hate incidents.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to join Wilson Sonsini, with its unrivaled brand built by representing innovative companies, the progressive entrepreneurs and leaders behind them, and the important investors who finance them,” said Chiou. “I also admire the firm’s commitment to creating a leading litigation department where I can leverage my experience to help clients facing controversies and inquiries that commonly arise in the course of conducting business as market leaders and disruptors.”
Chiou is experienced in all stages of litigation, including serving as trial counsel in jury trials and representing companies in business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, and employment matters. He has also conducted internal investigations, counseled clients on compliance matters, and led Foreign Corrupt Practices Act trainings.
Chiou earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2004, and a B.A. in economics and psychology from Williams College in 2001.
About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini’s services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in 18 technology and business hubs worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.