The Securities and Exchange Commission has appointed J. Russell “Rusty” McGranahan as its new General Counsel, placing a veteran securities and M&A attorney in the role of the agency’s chief legal officer. McGranahan will lead the SEC’s legal function and provide counsel to the Office of the Chairman, the Commissioners, and staff across the agency.
The SEC also said Jeffrey Finnell, who had been serving as Acting General Counsel, will remain at the Commission as Deputy General Counsel, providing continuity in the leadership of the agency’s legal office.
SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins said McGranahan’s mix of private-sector and government experience will be put to work immediately as the Commission pursues priorities that include strengthening U.S. capital markets and advancing its rulemaking agenda.
McGranahan said he is joining the agency during a period of rapid technological and financial innovation, and that he looks forward to working with SEC colleagues to address new developments in ways that support U.S. leadership in financial services and capital formation.
McGranahan brings roughly three decades of legal experience spanning government, asset management, wealth management, and major law firms. Most recently, he served as General Counsel of the U.S. General Services Administration, where the SEC said he helped set the direction for key initiatives during the first 10 months of the current administration.
Before his role at GSA, McGranahan was General Counsel of Focus Financial Partners for 9 years, leading the legal function through a period of significant expansion that included the firm’s 2018 initial public offering and a 2023 transaction that took the company private. Earlier, he spent nine years at BlackRock as a Managing Director, serving as M&A Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
He began his career at Skadden, Arps, and at White & Case, including three years based in Eastern Europe, where he worked on early public offerings from the region. McGranahan earned a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A., summa cum laude, in Economics and Politics from the Catholic University of America, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
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“I have known Rusty for many years and am excited to have recruited someone of his caliber and experience to my senior team. 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.” “I thank Jeff for his service as Acting General Counsel. I am pleased that he will continue serving at the Commission as Deputy General Counsel. His sound judgment and deep expertise in the securities laws are invaluable to the SEC.”
Paul S. Atkins, Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
“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. 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.”
J. Russell “Rusty” McGranahan, General Counsel, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
