Helen Wong

Director and Associate General Counsel, WhatsApp

San Francisco Bay Area

About

Experience

  • WhatsApp (6 yrs 8 mos)
    • Director and Associate General Counsel
      Mar 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 5 mos

    • Associate General Counsel, Product, Privacy & Payments
      Dec 2019 - Present · 6 yrs 8 mos

      Legal lead for WhatsApp’s consumer products, including AI, Growth, Messaging, and Privacy, managing a team that advises c-suite leadership across product, engineering, and go-to market. I lead legal strategy for WhatsApp’s AI product team, driving innovation and compliance across cutting-edge AI initiatives. With deep experience at the intersection of law, technology, and global policy, I help fast-moving teams scale products in a legally sound and user-centric way.

  • Director and Sr Counsel, Fintech and Payments at Discover Financial Services
    Jan 2017 - Dec 2019 · 3 yrs

    I provide strategic legal advice to Discover Financial Services’ three payment networks, Discover Network, Diners’ Club, and Pulse, focusing on emerging global payment technologies and worldwide acceptance. I counsel business and product teams on legal issues on the full spectrum from traditional payments services to new fintech initiatives starting from innovation to development to marketing. My responsibilities include identifying and mitigating risks for new proof of concept projects to negotiating and closing complex commercial agreements involving strategic partnerships with key technology firms and other networks both domestically and internationally.

  • Federal Trade Commission (5 yrs 1 mo)
    • Counsel to the Director
      Jun 2016 - Jan 2017 · 8 mos

      I reported to the Director of FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and advised the Director on a range of issues, including strategic guidance on financial technology (“fintech”), data privacy, data security, and digital and mobile advertising and marketing. I recommended FTC enforcement actions based on assessment of risk to consumers, strategic goals of the agency, litigation risk, and public policy

    • Attorney, Division of Financial Practices
      Jan 2012 - Jan 2017 · 5 yrs 1 mo

      Assist FTC’s strategic planning process for examining financial technologies and consumer protection issues, including for emerging financial technology ("fintech") sectors such as cryptocurrencies, mobile payments, and marketplace lending. Educate FTC staff and officials on the sector. Implement recommendations for FTC enforcement actions based on risk-based assessments to consumers. Lead attorney on FTC actions and investigations involving fintech platforms, including the FTC's first actions on cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding. Manage work at all stages of litigation, including developing litigation strategy, drafting briefs and motions, taking depositions, conducting discovery, presenting oral arguments, examining witnesses, preparing expert witnesses,and negotiating settlements. Investigate companies that violate U.S. consumer protection laws, including the FTC Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Coordinate with various state, federal, and legislative agencies, including the Federal Reserve, CFPB,State Attorney Generals, and Department of Treasury, on joint actions and partnerships. Speaker on financial technology and consumer protection issues at various conferences, including the National Association of Attorney Generals’ Conference, the DC Blockchain Summit, GW Center for Law, Economics and Finance's FinTech Forum,and TEDx Northwestern.

  • Associate, Antitrust and Litigation at White & Case, LLP
    Nov 2009 - Jan 2012 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    Drafted briefs at all stages of civil and criminal litigation, including motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, post-trial briefs, amicus briefs, and appellate briefs Investigated and analyzed complex economic issues involving potential antitrust cartels and merger transactions under inquiry by the FTC and the DOJ Antitrust Division Advised clients regarding joint ventures, anti-corruption compliance policies and training programs