After an uninspiring year in a large New Jersey law firm, Chris then worked as a prosecutor in Trenton, New Jersey. Chris tried more than 50 felony cases to final jury verdict. After a brief stint at a downtown Chicago law firm (Mayer Brown on LaSalle Street), he returned to his first love – criminal law – as a federal prosecutor in Madison.
In 1994, Christopher T. Van Wagner returned to private practice and committed himself to defending everyday people who face criminal charges in both state and federal courts. Chris also aggressively defends people who face charges of drunk driving, including repeat OWI/DWI offenses, OWI accidents with injuries and OWI accidents that resulted in a fatality. Through all of this, Chris has earned a stellar reputation across the “left side” of the state of Wisconsin as a trial lawyer who fights for his clients. Prosecutors know – or soon learn – that Christopher T. Van Wagner does not fold his cards merely because they claim to have a strong case.
Christopher T. Van Wagner has an “AV” rating* in the peer review system created by Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest rating an attorney can receive. This honor comes from lawyers across the state and across the spectrum of practice areas. Chris has been recognized numerous times as a Super Lawyer, an honor given only to the top 5 percent of attorneys in Wisconsin. Additionally, Chris has appeared as a legal analyst and expert commentator on national shows such as Court TV, the Dan Abrams Report on MSNBC, the Today show, Good Morning America and ABC News, as well as local broadcasts such as ABC Madison Channel 27 and Madison Channel 3000 (C3K).
Chris currently serves as president of the Dane County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, where he puts his experience and knowledge to use daily as he works to mentor the next generation of trial lawyers.
By now, you have a good sense of Christopher T. Van Wagner, and what makes him stand out distinguishes from other criminal defense lawyers in Wisconsin. If you would like to learn even more, click on the link below.
By operating as a solo practitioner, Chris is able to deviate from the common practice of developing a high volume of cases and ripping through them with little concern for the long-term future of the individuals involved. Chris makes it a point to spend as much time as necessary learning about each client’s case. And because Chris is the only attorney in his firm, you are assured of working directly with him from start to finish. Other firms market their experienced, high-profile lawyers, only to shift most cases to inexperienced junior attorneys once the casework begins.
*AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent® and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general practice standards.
