Chris Niewoehner

Chris Niewoehner is an esteemed trial lawyer who defends prominent individuals and corporations in all phases of government investigations and prosecutions, and handles matters related to complex civil litigation. Chris has 12 years of experience as a federal prosecutor, during which time he handled some of the most notorious political corruption investigations ever brought in the Northern District of Illinois – most notably, the conviction of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. As a result of his trial successes, he was asked to become a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers – a distinction reserved for the top one percent of trial lawyers in the United States.

Now co-chair of Steptoe's Investigations and White-Collar Defense Group, clients turn to Chris with their most significant white-collar matters and investigations. Chris has led domestic and foreign internal investigations across a wide range of industries around the globe. He regularly interacts with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory bodies in enforcement actions and investigations. As a current example, Chris plays a leading role in managing worldwide issues involving one of the largest DOJ criminal settlements of all time (see United States v. Volkswagen). Clients have also sought his assistance in investigating and addressing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and money laundering issues, antitrust concerns, environmental problems, healthcare fraud, financial market manipulation, and cyber intrusions, among other issues.

Chris' extensive trial experience includes a variety of complicated commercial litigation matters, often focused on fraud. His recent cases encompassed securities fraud, banking practices, financial and estate planning, civil racketeering, and contract disputes, among other areas.