[2] As a lawyer, she first rose to fame with her defence of Giulio Andreotti, the forty-first Prime Minister of Italy, during his Mafia association trials.

[6][7] Her work in white-collar crime also brought her into contact with Sergio Cragnotti, the former head of Italian food company Cirio, whom she defended in a fraud case in 2008.

[17] Bongiorno is also known for her work in sports law, representing clients ranging from fencer Andrea Baldini, to footballers Cristiano Doni and Francesco Totti.

Bongiorno and Michelle Hunziker established a nonprofit foundation in 2007, Doppia Difesa (Double Defense), to combat discrimination, violence, and abuse against women.

[26] The foundation has, among other activities, begun public awareness campaigns (including with Swarovski[33]), participated in conferences, and has received awards.