Who Is William Tong? Inside the Career of Connecticut's Attorney General
William Tong, the 25th Attorney General of Connecticut, made history twice when he was sworn in on January 9, 2019: he became the first Asian American elected to any statewide office in Connecticut history, and the first Chinese American to be elected attorney general anywhere in the United States. Before his AG run he had spent 18 years as a litigator in state and federal courts — first at the Manhattan office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, one of the top corporate-litigation firms in the country, and then at Finn Dixon & Herling in Stamford — and six terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives, including a tenure as House Judiciary Committee co-chair. He was re-elected to a second AG term in 2022 with 59% of the vote.
Early life and family
William Morten Tong was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and grew up in West Hartford. His father Ady left mainland China for Hong Kong during the Chinese Civil War; his mother Nancy was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. The two met in the U.S. and settled in central Connecticut. The Tong family ran a Chinese restaurant in West Hartford for years — a small-business immigrant story Tong has spoken about often in public remarks, and the experience that shaped his focus on consumer protection and small-business law as Attorney General.
Education: Phillips Academy, Brown, and the University of Chicago
Tong graduated from Phillips Academy, the boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1988. He earned an undergraduate degree in classics with honors from Brown University in 1995, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2000.
Private practice: Simpson Thacher to Finn Dixon
Tong began his legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York, one of the most prominent corporate-litigation firms in the country. His work at Simpson Thacher was concentrated in commercial litigation and securities matters — the kind of multi-year, document-intensive federal court litigation that defines big-firm litigation practice.
He later moved to Finn Dixon & Herling LLP, a mid-sized litigation firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, where he handled commercial litigation, white-collar matters, and business disputes. Across both firms Tong accumulated 18 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts — an unusually deep litigation résumé for a state attorney general.
Connecticut House of Representatives, 2007–2019
In 2006 Tong was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives representing the 147th district, which covers most of North Stamford. He served six terms in the House, from January 2007 through January 2019, including a tenure as co-chair of the House Judiciary Committee — one of the most influential committee assignments in the Connecticut Legislature given its jurisdiction over criminal law, civil law, the courts, and constitutional questions.
Notable legislation during Tong's House tenure included Connecticut's bail-reform statute, the state's repeal of the death penalty in 2012, and consumer-protection legislation on payday lending, data privacy, and financial-services regulation. Tong was also a vocal proponent of Connecticut's gun-safety legislation following the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.
Election as Attorney General
Tong announced his candidacy for Attorney General in 2017, after longtime AG George Jepsen announced he would not seek re-election. He won the August 2018 Democratic primary and defeated Republican Sue Hatfield in the November 2018 general election. He was sworn in on January 9, 2019 as the 25th Attorney General of Connecticut — the first Asian Pacific American elected to any statewide office in Connecticut history and the first Chinese American to be elected attorney general nationwide. He was re-elected in 2022 with 59% of the vote, defeating Republican Jessica Kordas.
Notable cases and AG portfolio
Purdue Pharma and the Sackler litigation
Tong inherited Connecticut's role as one of the lead state plaintiffs in the multistate Purdue Pharma opioid litigation and became one of the most vocal AGs in pushing for personal accountability for members of the Sackler family. His office's position — that any settlement releasing the Sacklers from civil liability had to provide proportionate compensation to victims — shaped the structure of the eventual Purdue bankruptcy resolution and Connecticut's $95 million share of the opioid settlement.
Consumer protection and price-gouging enforcement
Tong's office has been among the most active in the country on consumer-protection enforcement. During the COVID-19 pandemic the office brought several price-gouging actions under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA), and his office has continued an active enforcement agenda against deceptive practices in auto sales, debt collection, and online marketplaces.
Multistate antitrust enforcement
Tong has joined Connecticut to the multistate antitrust actions against Google search, Meta, Visa, Live Nation/Ticketmaster, and the Kroger-Albertsons proposed merger. Connecticut's antitrust portfolio under Tong is one of the more active state-level antitrust programs relative to the state's size.
Data privacy and cybersecurity enforcement
Connecticut enacted the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA) in 2022, one of the early state-level comprehensive data-privacy laws. The AG's office has primary enforcement authority over CTDPA, and Tong has used that authority to bring enforcement actions against companies for inadequate data-breach notification and improper collection of consumer data.
Civil-rights and federal-policy litigation
Connecticut joined multistate amicus and direct-action litigation defending reproductive rights after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, defending transgender rights, and challenging federal policy across immigration, federal-employee, and federal-funds matters since January 2025.
Personal life
Tong is married to Elizabeth (Liz) Tong; they have three children. He lives in Stamford. He has spoken often about being raised in his parents' Chinese restaurant in West Hartford and about the impact of his immigrant family's experience on his approach to consumer protection and small-business law.
Frequently asked questions
What was William Tong's career before becoming Connecticut AG?
Tong was a commercial-litigation attorney for 18 years, first at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City and then at Finn Dixon & Herling in Stamford, Connecticut. He served six terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives (January 2007 – January 2019), including a tenure as House Judiciary Committee co-chair.
Is William Tong the first Asian American attorney general?
He is the first Asian American elected to any statewide office in Connecticut history and the first Chinese American to be elected attorney general anywhere in the United States. He was sworn in as the 25th Attorney General of Connecticut on January 9, 2019.
What is Connecticut's role in the Purdue Pharma opioid litigation?
Connecticut was one of the lead state plaintiffs in the multistate Purdue Pharma opioid litigation. Tong's office took the position that any settlement releasing the Sackler family from civil liability had to provide proportionate compensation to victims, a position that shaped the structure of the eventual Purdue bankruptcy resolution. Connecticut's share of the broader opioid settlement was approximately $95 million.
What is the Connecticut Data Privacy Act?
The Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA) is the state's comprehensive consumer data-privacy law, enacted in 2022 and effective July 1, 2023. It gives Connecticut consumers rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal information, and gives the Connecticut Attorney General primary enforcement authority. Tong's office has brought several enforcement actions under CTDPA.
What law firms did William Tong work at?
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City and Finn Dixon & Herling in Stamford, Connecticut. He spent 18 years in private litigation practice across the two firms before his 2018 AG campaign.
Sources
- William Tong — Wikipedia — biographical overview, education, career timeline.
- Connecticut Attorney General — William Tong biography.
- William Tong — Ballotpedia — election history.
- Democratic Attorneys General Association — William Tong profile.
- National Association of Attorneys General — William Tong profile.
- Connecticut General Assembly — House Judiciary Committee records of Tong's 2007–2019 service.
This profile is part of TheCompleteLawyer.com's series on the U.S. state attorneys general. Profiles are intended as a neutral biographical resource focused on professional and legal career; they are not endorsements and do not represent the views of TheCompleteLawyer.com.