Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joins BCLP’s Litigation & Investigations Practice

International law firm BCLP announced today the addition of Partner Emmet P. Ong to the firm’s Financial Services Disputes & Investigations Practice. He joins the firm’s San Francisco office.

Emmet brings a wealth of experience from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, where he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division. In that role, Emmet acted as lead counsel for the United States and its agencies in nearly 100 civil actions and investigations, including overseeing numerous healthcare, procurement, and COVID-19 relief fraud investigations under the False Claims Act. Emmet also defended the government in dozens of cases involving civil and constitutional rights, complex medical malpractice and other tort claims, and the judicial review of administrative actions. Emmet successfully briefed and argued matters before the Ninth Circuit and conducted multiple bench trials, including the first-ever trial under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. He and the rest of the trial team were recognized by DOJ for their outstanding work on that matter with an Assistant Attorney General Award for Excellence. Emmet’s leadership extended to serving as the office’s Civil Health Care Fraud Coordinator and Acting Deputy Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit.

Before his tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Emmet served as Principal Counsel in the Department of Enforcement at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), where he played a critical role in ensuring market integrity. Emmet led investigations into potential violations of federal securities laws and FINRA rules by broker-dealers and their associated persons, where he handled every aspect of the enforcement process, ranging from key witness interviews and case development to negotiating high-stakes settlements. Previous to this role, he was an Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell, where he represented numerous global financial institutions in securities and other shareholder suits, SEC investigations, FINRA arbitrations, and complex contract disputes.

“Emmet’s background as a lead civil enforcer and litigator in one of the nation’s most prominent U.S. Attorney’s Offices makes him a tremendous asset to our Financial Services Disputes & Investigations team,” said Lee Marshall, Global Department Leader of Litigations & Investigations. “His experience in managing complex enforcement actions, combined with his FINRA experience and deep understanding of financial and regulatory disputes, will provide immense value to our clients across the sector.”

Emmet earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.  Prior to law school, Emmet was an investment banker at a bulge bracket bank, where he advised multinational businesses on public and private capital sourcing transactions as well as mergers and acquisitions.  Emmet holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. 

“I am thrilled to join BCLP and contribute to its highly respected Financial Services Disputes & Investigations team,” said Emmet. “The legal and regulatory challenges in today’s financial sector are increasingly complex, and I look forward to working with the team to help our clients navigate these challenges with practical, results-driven solutions.”