Christopher
T.
Van Wagner
attorney at law
Van Wagner & Wood, S.C.
10 East Doty Street, Suite 701
Post Office Box 88
Madison, Wisconsin 53701-0088
phone (608) 284-1200
toll free 1-866-262-4599
fax (608) 284-1260
Seriously Outstanding
only 5% selected each year
In practice since 1981, criminal 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 disorderly conduct to rape and murder.
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.
Attorney Christopher T. Van Wagner holds an "AV" Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has been repeatedly honored by Super
Lawyers as one of Wisconsin's top criminal defense lawyers (only the top 5% are recognized). The Dane County defense bar honored him
as "Warrior of the Year" when Chris won an acquittal on behalf
of a particularly difficult client (a previous 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 each of the past several surveys of all Dane County Wisconsin attorneys, Christopher Van Wagner
has repeatedly been one of a handful of attorneys to be named to Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyers; this year, he was one of three named as Madison's Best.
Attorney Van Wagner
frequently serves as a legal analyst and criminal trial commentator on Court
TV with anchor Nancy Grace, who now also hosts the Larry King show, the Dan Abrams Report on MSNBC, The Today Show, Good
Morning America, ABC News, ABC Madison Channel 27, Madison
Channel 3000 (C3K), as well as other local and national networks. He teaches at national and regional criminal law seminars, often lecturing on the critical importance of creative defense strategies. He has written for legal publications including the Wisconsin State Journal. He often publishes legal notes and comments about Wisconsin criminal law in his BLOG (http://wisconsincriminallaw.blogspot.com).
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
Representative Cases:
State of Wisconsin v. Ramker, Acquitted, Sexual Assault of Minor Child
State of Wisconsin v. Client, Sexual Assault of Minor Child
State of Wisconsin v. Sutter - Acquitted, Sexual Assault of Minor Child
State
of Wisconsin v. Pintz - Acquitted, Sexual Assault, Repeated Acts
State
of Wisconsin v. Client - Murder Charges Dismissed
State of Wisconsin v. Staton - Acquitted, Murder
State
of Wisconsin v. Meng - Acquitted, Murder
State
of Wisconsin v. Covarrubias - Acquitted, Murder
Honors and Awards:
Wisconsin's Best Drunk Driving Defense Lawyers, 2009, 2010
OWI-DUI.com
Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2009
Wisconsin Super Lawyers, 2009
Drunk Driving Defense, Criminal Defense, White Collar Criminal Defense
Wisconsin Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense, White Collar Crime, DUI 2008
Successful Criminal & DUI Defense, Attorney Christopher Van Wagner, Criminal, DUI
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
Martin Hanson Advocate Prize, 2002
Martin Hanson Advocate Prize, 2001
Martin Hanson Advocate Prize, 2001
Madison's
Best Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2001
"Warrior
of the Year," Dane County Criminal Defense Bar, 1999
"AV" Eminent Attorney Peer Review Rating, Martindale Hubbell
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
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