The Securities and Exchange Commission has named J. Russell “Rusty” McGranahan as the SEC’s chief legal officer, or SEC general counsel.
McGranahan will provide legal expertise and advice to the Office of the Chairman, SEC Commissioners and the agency’s staff, the commission said. Jeffrey Finnell, who had served as the acting general counsel, will stay on at the commission as deputy general counsel.
“I have known Rusty for many years and am excited to have recruited someone of his caliber and experience to my senior team,” SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins said. “In addition to being a seasoned securities and M&A lawyer, he has served as both a public company and government agency general counsel. I expect Rusty to deploy these skills immediately across a wide range of priorities, including our initiatives to strengthen the capital markets and deliver on a robust rulemaking agenda.”
McGranahan brings more than 30 years of experience to the position. Most recently, he served as the General Counsel of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Prior to that, he was General Counsel for Focus Financial Partners, leading the legal function of the firm through its IPO in 2018 and going private in 2023. Before that, he served as managing director for BlackRock.
McGranahan earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and his B.A., summa cum laude, in Economics and Politics from the Catholic University of America, and has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to join the SEC and the Chairman’s senior team during this period of rapid technological and financial innovation,” McGranahan said. “I look forward to working with my new SEC colleagues to embrace developments in a manner that responsibly fosters and maintains America’s preeminence in financial services and capital formation.”