Criminal Defense Attorney

Former Federal Prosecutor, Former State Prosecutor

In practice since 1981, Christopher T. Van Wagner (Chris 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 eleven 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 '81, Law Review Editor) and then clerking for a federal district judge (Hon. Dick Debevoise, D.N.J., '81-82); 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); and, most significantly, the ingrained courtroom sense and jury trial skills he honed while trying more than fifty felony jury trials to verdict as a state prosecutor (in Trenton, N.J.), cases ranging from welfare fraud to sexual assault to homicide) - and then handling several more felony jury trials as a federal prosecutor (in Madison, WI), prosecuting various federal conspiracy cases to verdict, as well.

Federal & State of Wisconsin Defense

Chris left government work in 1994. Since then, he has devoted all of his professional time, effort and energy exclusively to defending people accused (or convicted) of serious crimes and drunk driving offenses.

victorious trial attorney

Recently, Chris has tried and won several high-profile criminal trials, including several homicide and sexual assault cases.

Honored Eminent Attorney

Attorney Christopher T. Van Wagner holds an "AV-rating" from Martindale-Hubbell.

The Dane County defense bar has honored him for his accomplishments, including a special honor as "Warrior of the Year" for an acquittal on behalf of a particularly difficult client in an attempted murder 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 trial victories in homicide cases.

In a survey of Dane County attorneys, Chris Van Wagner was one of a handful of criminal defense lawyers to be named Madison's Best Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Chris has repeatedly been named as one of few criminal defense lawyers to the acclaimed Super Lawyers of Wisconsin for his exemplary accomplishments in criminal defense, white collar crimes, and drunk driving, ethical practice of law and his many contributions to the Wisconsin legal community. Super Lawyers only recognizes those lawyers who rank in the top 5% of their results.

highly revered in criminal defense strategies

Chris teaches and lectures regularly at legal education and trial skills seminars for other attorneys.

criminal law commentator

Chris has appeared as a criminal law commentator on ABC News Network's Good Morning America in article, on the ABC News web, and on ABC News TV, Court TV's Nancy Grace Show, MSNBC's Dan Abrams Show, The Today Show, Madison's ABC TV Channel 27, and Madison 3000.

new york yankees fan

Despite resettling to Wisconsin, Chris remains an avid New York Yankees fan.

contact attorney van wagner

To contact Attorney Chris Van Wagner, please call 1-888-663-8163 from anywhere in Wisconsin, or 608-284-1200 locally in Madison, Wisconsin, or E-mail Chris.