About Michael Li-Ming
Michael Li-Ming Wong built a legal foundation in literature and law. He earned a B.A. in English literature from Pomona College through the Claremont Consortium of Colleges and then completed his J.D. at Harvard Law School. Those academic years left him comfortable with complex texts and rigorous analysis.
He entered practice in the late 1990s and gained government trial experience early in his career. In 2000 he served as Chief of the White Collar Crimes Section and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of California. That period placed him at the intersection of criminal enforcement and federal prosecution practice. He handled investigations and prosecutions that required coordination with investigative agencies and careful courtroom work.
After government service, Wong moved into private practice. He became a partner at Ropes & Gray LLP in 2008. Four years later he joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as a partner in 2012. Those roles expanded his practice into representation of corporate clients, civil litigation and internal investigations. He has experience advising clients on the enforcement and defense sides of complex matters.
Wong is admitted to practice in California and in the District of Columbia, holding bar memberships since 1998. He also holds a professional privacy credential, the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. That certification complements his work on data security and privacy questions that arise in corporate investigations and regulatory matters.
Throughout his career he has handled matters that combine criminal law, corporate compliance and privacy issues. He has led internal investigations and advised companies responding to government inquiries. He also has litigated in courts and engaged in negotiations with government counsel. His background in both prosecution and defense gives him perspectives on how investigative and enforcement decisions are made.
Colleagues and clients see him as someone who moves between the courtroom and boardroom. He draws on experience at the Department of Justice and at major law firms to manage multi-jurisdictional matters. He continues to maintain active bar memberships in California and the District of Columbia.
As of 2026 he is a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where his practice encompasses white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and privacy and data security matters.
