Jen Won is a bilingual trial attorney focusing on high-stakes civil litigation and white collar criminal defense. Ingenious and earnest, she is noted for being "especially apt to tackle a complex legal problem and develop a winning strategy." Jen’s professional achievements have earned her recognition as one of the region’s "Minority Leaders of Influence" by Los Angeles Business Journal and among the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense. Her cerebral approach to litigation has led complex commercial cases to trial and obtained winning results for her clients in federal and state courts. Jen currently manages a portfolio of litigation matters for Fintech and energy clients.  

Having lived in Seoul, Korea until she was 18 years old, Jen is fluent in Korean. She spearheaded the development of Larson LLP’s Korea practice, through which she serves as a trusted advisor to Korean conglomerates and individuals who need legal advice in the U.S. or abroad. Jen has coordinated parallel proceedings in East Asia before multiple tribunals. 

Jen leads high-profile, sensitive investigations for corporate clients facing regulatory challenges. She regularly defends individual clients in federal and state criminal investigations, and she has successfully negotiated favorable outcomes with the government on her clients’ behalf. Jen has also litigated asset forfeiture cases before the U.S. and international tribunals and recovered assets for her clients. Her willingness to delve into each case and persevere in high-stress situations is recognized and appreciated by her clients and the government alike.

Jen is passionate about empowering others in the legal profession and building an inclusive team. Outside of the courtroom, she dedicates her time to serving her legal and Asian Pacific American (APA) communities. Since 2019, Jen has served on the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Board of Governors. She is the president-elect of the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California (KABA) and a board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County (APABA). Jen currently serves on the Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Board and the Bench and Bar Committee of the Los Angeles Superior Court.  She also serves as the chair of the White-Collar Crime Division and has served as a regional governor for the International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL) since 2017. That same year, Jen co-founded the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP) Social Impact Incubator, a non-profit initiative designed to promote diversity in the legal profession. 

Prior Experience

Before joining Larson LLP, Jen was an associate at Bird Marella in Los Angeles. She began her legal career as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago. After practicing for two years in Chicago, Jen moved to California to serve as a law clerk to the Honorable Larry A. Burns of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Representative Matters

• Representing an international private equity firm in a complex, commercial dispute in federal court and coordinating parallel proceedings before JAMS and tribunals in Taiwan and China.
• Defending a Fintech company in litigation across superior courts in California alleging breach of contract, fraud, and violation of consumer protection laws.
• Representing corporate and individual targets of governmental investigations in connection with forfeiture proceedings and related white collar criminal investigations involving FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and District Attorney’s offices in California.
• Leading a white collar investigation for Korean conglomerates conducting business in the U.S. and abroad.
• Representing Korean companies in lawsuits involving alleged trade secret violations, breach of contract, and violations of California’s Unfair Competition Laws.
• Counseling a financial institution regarding compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Representing public entities, including a Korean utility company and U.S. municipalities, in regulatory investigations and commercial disputes.  
• Drafted a petition for writ of certiorari from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit regarding its en banc decision on constitutional right to informational privacy and qualified immunity doctrine.

Significant Prior Representations:

• Defended SK Hynix America, Inc. in a federal jury trial against a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation alleging breach of supply contract for Xbox One.
• Defended a sovereign fund in a high-profile criminal prosecution alleging over $4.5 billion in international money laundering.
• Represented a major political party in a national scandal alleging violations of federal and state employment laws.
• Represented a major pharmaceutical company in federal and state investigations alleging a violation of antitrust laws.

Activities

• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Central California Regional Governor, Executive Committee Member, and Finance Committee Chair
• Korean American Bar Association of Southern California, President-Elect
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County, Board Member
• International Association of Korean Lawyers, Regional Governor and White-Collar Crime Division Chair
• Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession Social Impact Incubator, Co-Founder
• Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors Liaison
• Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Board Member
• Los Angeles Superior Court Bench and Bar Committee, Member
• Council of Korean Americans, Member
• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2019 Fellow

Speaking Engagements

• Presenter, "Arresting Development: Varying Forms of Emergency and Interim Reliefs and Practical Considerations," International Association of Korean Lawyers Conference (October 2, 2021)
• Panelist, "Planning for Success: Developing and Utilizing Your Personal Board of Directors and Personal Brand," Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (June 30, 2021)
• Moderator, "How to Transition to a Different Workplace," Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (June 29, 2021)
• Speaker, "Victims of Hate, 'What's Next?': Prosecutors, Law Enforcement, and Community's Role in Providing Assistance to Victims," Korean Prosecutors Association Webinar (May 11, 2021)
• Panel Chair, "What is CBLA?," Taste of the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (December 10, 2020)
• Moderator, "Championing Diversity & Inclusion in Legal Departments," NAPABA Diversity and Inclusion Committee Webinar (October 23, 2019)
• Speaker, "Advice For Young Lawyers," IAKL Annual Conference (September 2019)
• Speaker, "Legal Career Panel," Consulate General of Republic of Korea in Los Angeles (August 2019)
• Moderator, "Developing Korea Practice For US Law Firms," U.S.-Korea Law Day (April 2018)
• Moderator, "Healthcare Panel: Repeal of Affordable Care Act?," NAPABA Western Regional Conference (April 2017)
• Moderator, "International Trade Regulation Under Trump Administration," IAKL Annual Conference (September 2017)
• Speaker, various legal diversity conferences in 2016-2017 at 2017 ABA Annual Convention (New York); HSBC (New York); Bank of America (Charlotte); AT&T (Dallas); Starbucks (Seattle); OhioHealth (Columbus)

Publications

• Co-Author, "When and Why to Consider Self-Disclosure of Criminal Conduct," American Bar Association (March 21, 2019) 
• Co-Author, "Six Ways To Avoid Being Co-Opted Into a Trade-Based Money Laundering Scheme," Bloomberg BNA (May 14, 2018)
• Author, "Perspective on Lawyering in Non-Native Language," Institute for Inclusion and Diversity in the Legal Profession (January 2014)
• Co-author, "Class Representatives' Engagement Letters with Class Counsel are Discoverable," Bloomberg BNA (June 28, 2013) 
• Co-author, "Arbitrator Impartiality in the Context of a Tripartite Tribunal," American Bar Association (February 2013) 

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2022)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, "Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys" (2021)