 Christopher
T.
Van Wagner
Shareholder
Van Wagner & Wood, S.C.
10 East Doty Street, Suite 701
Post Office Box 88
Madison, Wisconsin 53701-0088
phone (608) 284-1200
fax (608) 284-1260
E-mail
Chris | Free
Online Case Review | Outlook
Contact | BLOG
E-mail
VWW attorneys
In practice since 1981, criminal law defense attorney Christopher
T. Van Wagner brings a wide mix of knowledge, background and unique personal
experience to each case. These include the lessons learned and instincts
developed while growing up one of 11 children born to a middle class Irish
Catholic New Jersey couple; the topnotch education and training he received
attending an Ivy League law school (Cornell Law School 1981, Law Review
Editor) and then clerking for a federal district judge (Honorable Dick
Debevoise, D.N.J., 1981-1982); the boardroom manners observed and absorbed
working for Fortune 500 clients in his years at a world-renowned Chicago-based
corporate law firm (Mayer Brown, on LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois);
and, most significantly, the ingrained courtroom sense and solid jury
trial skills he honed while trying more than 50 felony jury trials to
verdict as a state prosecutor (in Trenton, New Jersey), cases ranging
from welfare fraud to rape to homicide.
In 1991, he moved to Wisconsin to become a federal prosecutor
(Madison, Wisconsin). In a short time, he tried several federal conspiracy
cases to verdict. Chris left the government in 1994, and now devotes his
professional time, effort and energy exclusively to defending people accused
(or convicted) of serious
crimes and drunk
driving offenses by both Wisconsin and Federal governments. Chris has tried and won some high-profile
trials, including several murder
cases.
Super
Lawyers has named Chris one of Wisconsin's best criminal defense attorneys
(in the top 5%) in Wisconsin. The Dane County defense bar honored Chris
as "Warrior of the Year" when Chris won an acquittal on behalf
of a particularly difficult client (an
ex-district attorney) in an attempted
murder shooting case. The Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers (WACDL) has three times awarded
Chris the Martin Hanson Advocate's Prize - a statewide honor for his
repeated victories in homicide
and murder cases. In a recent survey of all Dane County, Wisconsin attorneys, Chris
was one of a handful to be named to Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyers. Van Wagner & Wood's criminal defense attorneys have been
repeatedly chosen for that award.
Attorney Van Wagner regularly serves as a criminal defense
legal commentator and analyst for local and national news programs. Chris
has served as guest commentator on Court
TV with anchor Nancy Grace, who now also hosts the Larry King show.
He regularly serves as a legal analyst with local and national networks
and has appeared on the Dan Abrams Report on MSNBC, The Today Show, Good
Morning America, ABC News, ABC Madison Channel 27 and Madison
Channel 3000 (C3K). Chris has written for local publications including the Wisconsin State Journal. He often publishes legal notes and comments about Wisconsin criminal law in his BLOG (http://wisconsincriminallaw.blogspot.com). Chris has also taught and lectured regularly at
state and national trial skills seminars for lawyers.
Even though Chris has permanently resettled to Wisconsin,
he remains an equally permanent and often rabid New York Yankees fan.
Areas of Practice:
Criminal
Defense (State,
Federal,
Felony,
Misdemeanor)
Battery
Computer Crimes, Internet Crimes, Pornography, Music Downloads
Conspiracy
Disorderly
Conduct, Domestic
Battery, Abuse & Violence
Domestic Terrorism
Drug Crimes [federal] [state]
Drunk
Driving - OWI (DUI, DWI), Felony OWI, Intoxicated Vehicular Homicide
Federal
& State Charges, Criminal Trials,
Criminal Appeals
Felony Murder,
Homicide,
Negligent
Homicide, Vehicular
Homicide
Kidnapping, False Imprisonment
Sex Crimes,
Sexual
Assault, Sexual Assault Battery, Sexual
Predator
Stalking
Robbery, Burglary, Arson
Theft
White
Collar Crimes, Fraud,
Embezzlement
Litigation Percentage:
100% of law practice devoted to criminal litigation
Bar Admissions:
State: Wisconsin State Bar, 1994
Federal: U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
Federal: U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin
Federal: U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
Previous Bar Admissions:
State: New Jersey State Bar, 1981
State: Illinois State Bar, 1989
Federal: U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
Federal: U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
Federal: U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
Education:
Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York, 1981
J.D.
St. Lawrence, 1978 (St.
Lawrence University)
B.A.
Major: English and Literature
Classes/Seminars Taught:
Wisconsin Public Defender Trial Skills Academy (Lake Delavan,
Wisconsin)
Teaching Faculty
NITA Trial Skills Programs (Northwestern Law School, Chicago)
Teaching Faculty
Wisconsin Criminal Defense and Other Bar Seminars
Speaker
Recent Representative Cases:
State of Wisconsin v. Sutter - Acquitted
State
of Wisconsin v. Pintz - Acquitted
State
of Wisconsin v. Barnard - Charges Dismissed
State
of Wisconsin v. Meng - Acquitted
State
of Wisconsin v. Covarrubias - Acquitted
Honors and Awards:
Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2007
Super
Lawyers, Criminal Defense, DUI, White Collar Crimes, Wisconsin 2006
Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2005
Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2003
Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2001
"Warrior
of the Year," Dane County Criminal Defense Bar, 1999
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Dane County Bar Association
Member
Wisconsin State Bar Association
Member
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer
Please read our full
disclaimer.
|
