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Genny Ngai

Partner
Genny Ngai's headshot
Genny Ngai Partner

Genny Ngai is an accomplished trial lawyer and negotiator with more than a decade of experience handling complex criminal and civil litigation. A former federal prosecutor, she has a proven record of success in high-stakes cases and brings a practical, results-oriented approach to every matter.

Genny advises individuals and companies across a range of industries, including digital assets, artificial intelligence and financial services. She helps clients proactively navigate regulatory and compliance issues so that they can manage risk and continue to innovate. When government action arises, Genny draws on her prosecutorial and courtroom experience to vigorously defend clients. She has secured highly favorable outcomes for her clients, including dismissal of investigations with no criminal charges filed. Genny also represents clients in complex business disputes including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, civil fraud and RICO claims.  

A frequent speaker and author, she provides insight on enforcement trends in artificial intelligence and digital assets and has been published in various legal publications.

Before joining Morrison Cohen, Genny spent more than five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, where she worked in both the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section and the Business & Securities Fraud Section. As a federal prosecutor, Genny prosecuted complex cases involving financial fraud, money laundering, RICO offenses, sex trafficking and healthcare crimes. 

Genny has successfully tried numerous high-profile and complex cases to verdict. Notably, she secured the conviction of the former Minister of Finance of Mozambique for his role in a $2 billion international fraud and money laundering scheme. She has also obtained convictions in cases involving bank fraud, extortion, firearms, murder, drug trafficking and RICO offenses.

Before her tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Genny was a litigator at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, where she represented clients in complex business disputes, including class action employment suits and product liability cases. Earlier in her career, Genny served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Ann M. Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York.

A native New Yorker, Genny is deeply committed to supporting the Asian community. She serves as co-chair of the Litigation Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), where she advocates for diversity and mentorship in the legal profession.

Experience

White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Defense

  • Counsel for business owner in parallel DOJ and SEC actions involving allegations of fraud and unregistered sales of securities; successfully resolved the criminal case through a 6-month deferred prosecution agreement. 
  • Defended a cryptocurrency client in a criminal tax investigation that was closed with no charges filed.
  • Counsel for an attorney in a criminal tax fraud investigation brought by the IRS and DOJ.
  • Counsel for an individual cryptocurrency trader in an asset seizure and market manipulation investigation by the DOJ.
  • Represented a real estate developer in parallel DOJ and SEC actions involving wire and securities fraud allegations.  
  • Counsel for an investor and a registered investment adviser in separate FINRA and SEC investigations.
  • Counsel for multiple cryptocurrency and technology companies in connection with DOJ investigations into alleged misconduct by third parties.   
  • Counsel for non-profit entity against allegations of election fraud in administrative and tribunal proceedings in the United States.

Civil Litigation and Other Matters

  • Represent various high-net-worth individuals in complex business disputes.
  • Defended a New York retail tobacco dealer and lottery operator in alleged violations of state and city regulations.
  • Assisted Stand Columbia Society in preparing The Sunlight Report: A Reappraisal of the Sundial Report, responding to the Columbia University Senate’s findings.

Prior Government Experience at the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York

  • Obtained conviction of the former Minister of Finance of Mozambique in connection with his role in a $2 billion international fraud, bribery and money laundering scheme.
  • Prosecuted and tried cases involving bank fraud, extortion, firearms, murder, drug trafficking and RICO offenses. 
  • Prosecuted and secured extraditions of foreign nationals in complex money laundering and drug trafficking schemes.
  • Obtained a first-of-its-kind deferred prosecution agreement requiring online adult content distributors to pay a criminal fine, forfeiture, and undergo three-year independent monitorship.
  • Achieved a groundbreaking corporate resolution with an online telehealth company involving multimillion-dollar forfeiture for unauthorized distribution of controlled substances via telemedicine.
  • Prosecuted an adult daycare operator for offering kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. 

Other Experience (Prior to Joining Morrison Cohen)

  • Defended a global professional services firm in a high-profile fraud and breach of contract case filed by the City of Los Angeles, resulting in dismissal of all claims after exposing litigation misconduct by the City.
  • Represented a professional services firm in multiple wage-and-hour class actions in California and New York courts.
  • Secured summary judgment for a manufacturing conglomerate in lead-paint mass tort litigation, resulting in dismissal of over 150 claims.
  • Represented pro bono clients such as disabled New Yorkers in a class action suit to obtain disaster food stamp benefits after Superstorm Sandy.  

Professional Activities

  • Member and Co-Chair of the Litigation Committee, Asian American Bar Association of New York
  • Member, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • Member, Health Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association
  • Member, Women in AI

Recognition

  • Recipient, Prosecutor of the Year Award from the Society of Asian Federal Officers, 2024
  • Recipient, True American Hero Award from the Federal Drug Agents Foundation, 2023
Genny Ngai's headshot

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., cum laude
  • Dartmouth College, B.A., cum laude

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

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