Joanna Rosen Forster
Overview
Joanna Forster’s multifaceted background positions her to effectively manage conflicts across the legal spectrum and across the globe. In her prior roles as general counsel (representing both plaintiffs and defendants) and as government prosecutor/enforcer, Joanna handled nearly every type of matter, ranging from complex commercial and white collar matters in areas such as employment, intellectual property, securities and antitrust law, to internal investigations and corporate and M&A transactions. She views her role as both a conflict manager, dispensing advice to avoid adversarial action, and as a tech and business litigator, resolving disputes with her client’s business goals in mind.
Career & Education
- California
• Deputy Attorney General, Corporate Fraud Section,
California Department of Justice, 2015–2021
- California
- General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, ContextLogic, Inc.
- University of California, Berkeley School of Law, J.D., 2006
- University of California, Berkeley, B.A., Political Science, 2000
- California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- Law Clerk, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the Honorable Consuelo B. Marshall, 2009
- Jewish Community Center of San Francisco: Board Member
- Family House Inc.: Member, Family Services Committee
- English
- Spanish
Joanna's Insights
Client Alert | 9 min read | 01.06.26
Beyond the Checkout: Retail's 2026 Legal Minefield
2026 will be a significant year for retailers and e-commerce companies, with significant changes on the horizon that will affect the entire industry and ecosystem. Potential headwinds and developments in product safety, pricing, artificial intelligence, data privacy, website compliance, and environmental responsibility are expected. But amidst these changes, there are likely significant opportunities that retail and e-commerce businesses can capitalize on.
Press Coverage | 12.29.25
FTC Warns 10 Companies About Their Consumer Reviews, Signaling Kickoff of Heightened Enforcement
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.24.25
Keeping it Real: FTC Targets Fake Reviews in First Consumer Review Rule
Blog Post | 11.14.25
Crowell Hosts Fireside Chat with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin
Representative Matters
- Served as external general counsel and chief compliance officer for ContextLogic Inc., a publicly traded company. In this capacity, Joanna advised on all aspects of the business and public company functions, and provided counsel to the Board of Directors.
- Served as a member of the litigation team that secured over $1 billion in recovery for CalPERS and CalSTRs in connection with the rating, due diligence, and underwriting of residential mortgage backed securities following the financial crisis of 2008-2010, which received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in 2019.
Joanna's Insights
Client Alert | 9 min read | 01.06.26
Beyond the Checkout: Retail's 2026 Legal Minefield
2026 will be a significant year for retailers and e-commerce companies, with significant changes on the horizon that will affect the entire industry and ecosystem. Potential headwinds and developments in product safety, pricing, artificial intelligence, data privacy, website compliance, and environmental responsibility are expected. But amidst these changes, there are likely significant opportunities that retail and e-commerce businesses can capitalize on.
Press Coverage | 12.29.25
FTC Warns 10 Companies About Their Consumer Reviews, Signaling Kickoff of Heightened Enforcement
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.24.25
Keeping it Real: FTC Targets Fake Reviews in First Consumer Review Rule
Blog Post | 11.14.25
Crowell Hosts Fireside Chat with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin
Insights
Is Section 230 Going To Change? The FTC, DOJ And FCC Signal Significant Change For Online Businesses
|06.26.25
The Computer & Intranet Lawyer
FTC Warns 10 Companies About Their Consumer Reviews, Signaling Kickoff of Heightened Enforcement
|12.29.25
Corporate Counsel
- |
08.21.24
Los Angeles Times
Crowell Hosts Fireside Chat with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin
|11.14.25
Crowell & Moring’s State AG Blog
Federal and State Regulators Target AI Chatbots and Intimate Imagery
|10.30.25
Crowell & Moring’s State AG Blog
FTC Updates September 2 – 26, 2025
|10.13.25
Crowell & Moring’s Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
- |
08.06.25
Crowell & Moring’s State AG Blog
- |
07.31.25
Crowell & Moring’s State AG Blog
Register Now! H2 2025: What Retailers/E-Commerce Need to Know Webinar
|07.23.25
Crowell & Moring’s Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
State AG News: Federal Funding and Deceptive Practices July 10-16, 2025
|07.22.25
Crowell & Moring’s State AG Blog
FTC Uses Its Consumer Protection Powers to Regulate Sellers of GLP-1s
|07.21.25
Crowell & Moring’s Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
Eighth Circuit Cancels Click-to-Cancel
|07.18.25
Crowell & Moring’s Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
Joanna's Insights
Client Alert | 9 min read | 01.06.26
Beyond the Checkout: Retail's 2026 Legal Minefield
2026 will be a significant year for retailers and e-commerce companies, with significant changes on the horizon that will affect the entire industry and ecosystem. Potential headwinds and developments in product safety, pricing, artificial intelligence, data privacy, website compliance, and environmental responsibility are expected. But amidst these changes, there are likely significant opportunities that retail and e-commerce businesses can capitalize on.
Press Coverage | 12.29.25
FTC Warns 10 Companies About Their Consumer Reviews, Signaling Kickoff of Heightened Enforcement
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.24.25
Keeping it Real: FTC Targets Fake Reviews in First Consumer Review Rule
Blog Post | 11.14.25
Crowell Hosts Fireside Chat with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin




