Ranah Esmaili

RANAH L. ESMAILI is a partner at Sidley’s office in Washington, D.C. and a member of the firm’s global Securities Enforcement and Regulatory practice. Ranah’s practice focuses on representing broker dealers, investment advisers, private fund managers, and other asset managers in regulatory and government investigations, and providing compliance advice and counseling.

Ranah joins Sidley from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Enforcement Division, where she served as Assistant Director of the Asset Management Unit within the Division of Enforcement. As Assistant Director, Ranah oversaw investigations relating to the activities of hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, registered investment companies, separately managed accounts, and their investment advisers.

During her tenure at the SEC, Ranah brought significant and groundbreaking enforcement actions, including first-ever enforcement actions against a digital asset hedge fund manager, and a mutual fund adviser for undisclosed conflicts related to securities lending recall practices. Ranah also supervised an enforcement action resulting in one of the SEC’s largest-ever hedge fund settlements. Ranah also developed and led sweeps and initiatives focused on asset management industry practices, including on issues related to securities lending and ESG disclosures.

Ranah also served in multiple policy roles within the Division of Enforcement, including a detail as Counsel to the Directors of Enforcement and Senior Advisor to the Asset Management Unit. Before joining the Asset Management Unit, Ranah conducted investigations relating to conduct by public company issuers, audit companies, and municipal bond offerors.

Prior to her time with the SEC, Ranah was counsel at a leading global law firm where she represented financial institutions, domestic and foreign corporations, and special committees in civil litigation matters, internal and government investigations, and enforcement matters before the SEC, the Department of Justice, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

*Admitted only in California and New York; pending approval of application for admission to the D.C. Bar, practicing law in the District of Columbia under the supervision of principals of the firm who are members in good standing of the D.C. Bar.