With more than two decades of experience as a senior federal prosecutor and first-chair trial lawyer, Waqar helps clients navigate litigation risk to protect their business priorities, regulatory interests, and reputations. He has deep experience handling investigations involving money laundering, cyber intrusions, online child safety, IEEPA and export controls, tariff evasion, smuggling and trafficking, dual-use technology and national security. He has tried 12 federal criminal jury cases and argued before the US Courts of Appeals for the First and Ninth Circuits.
As a member of the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California (NDCA), Waqar co-led the high-profile RICO prosecution and trial of Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow and the related anti-corruption prosecution of a former state senator. For his work on that case, in 2017, he received the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation. Waqar also co-led a sensitive investigation into a senior city official for bribery and money laundering, leading to charges against multiple public officials and individuals and companies doing business with the City and County of San Francisco.
Waqar also served at the US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, as Resident Legal Advisor for North Africa. He worked with senior Moroccan government officials to address AML compliance issues, and develop a cryptocurrency oversight regime, ultimately leading to Morocco’s removal from the FATF “Grey List.” He frequently led AML trainings across the Middle East and North Africa for judges, prosecutors and investigators on topics such as cryptocurrency tracing, handling digital evidence and navigating cross-border investigations.
Waqar offers clients practical, courtroom-tested guidance in matters where criminal, civil, regulatory and reputational risks intersect. His experience is particularly valuable for technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductor, financial services, cryptocurrency, clean energy and other companies operating across borders or facing scrutiny from DOJ, OFAC, FinCEN, CFIUS, customs authorities and other enforcement agencies.
Latest News
- Panelist, “Public-Private Partnerships in Fighting Financial Crime,” ACAMS Northern California Chapter, (Mountain View, CA, 2025)
- Presenter, “Best Practices in Terrorism Investigations,” West Africa International Law Enforcement Academy (Accra, Ghana 2025)
- Panelist, “Enhancing Justice by Addressing Pretrial Detention Challenges, Africa Regional Colloquium (Nairobi, Kenya 2023)
- Presenter and Moderator, “Basic Techniques to Investigate Cryptocurrency Money Laundering,” Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Program (Algiers, Algeria, 2023)
- Presenter and Moderator, “Money Laundering: Identifying and Seizing Assets” Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Program (Casablanca, Morocco, 2022)
- Presenter and Moderator, “Unlocking the Potential of Evidence from Social Media Networks,” Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Program (Rabat, Morocco, 2022)
- Presenter, “Using Cooperating Witnesses in Money Laundering Investigations,” Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Program (Cairo, Egypt, 2022)
- Panelist, “Repatriating Foreign Fighters from Northeast Syria,” International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (Valletta, Malta, 2022)
- Keynote Address, “Implementing Sanctions Regimes,” United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Rabat, Morocco, 2022)
- Presenter and Moderator, “Using Cooperating Witnesses in Money Laundering Investigations,” Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Program (Marrakech, Morocco, 2022)
- Presenter, “Fighting Money Laundering in the 21st Century,” Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Program (Manama, Bahrain 2021)
- Presenter, “How Public-Private Partnerships Can Fight Terrorism,” YouTube Training Center (San Bruno, CA, 2018)
- Executive Office for US Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance, 2018
- FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation, 2017
- California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings)
- M.A., The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
- B.A., Johns Hopkins University