Perkins Coie has further expanded its bench of former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawyers with the addition of Aaron Washington, former assistant general counsel at Citadel Securities, to the firm’s Investment Management practice in the Washington, D.C., office. The move brings together a growing group of former SEC lawyers and colleagues who have deep legal and industry experience from working at the financial market regulator.
Aaron joins former SEC lawyers Valerie Dahiya, Michael Didiuk, and Betselot Zeleke, all partners in Perkins Coie’s Investment Management practice. Combined, they possess over 22 years of SEC experience where they worked on major regulatory and enforcement actions impacting the financial sector.
“We are pleased to welcome Aaron to our national practice and growing team of former SEC regulatory lawyers,” said Valerie Dahiya, firmwide chair of Perkins Coie’s Securities Trading and Markets practice, and the managing partner of the Washington, D.C., Office. “Aaron brings a wealth of experience from his time at the SEC and an immense depth of knowledge in regulatory matters impacting broker-dealers, exchanges, market intermediaries, and investment advisers.”
Prior to joining Perkins Coie as a senior counsel and his tenure at Citadel, he spent more than six years as a lawyer with the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets and the Division of Investment Management. He served as special counsel and acting branch chief in the Office of Trading Practices and worked on matters arising under Section 13 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, otherwise known as the “Volcker Rule,” and the SEC’s trading, short selling, and anti-manipulation rules. Aaron was also a senior counsel in the SEC’s Investment Adviser Regulation Office where he advised on matters involving investment adviser registration, private funds, custody, and advertising.
A Growing Team of Former SEC Lawyers
Valerie, Michael, and Betselot are leading lawyers with Perkins Coie’s Investment Management practice focused on providing exceptional legal services and solutions to financial market clients navigating a fast-evolving regulatory landscape.
Valerie represents financial service clients, including broker-dealers, exchanges, corporations, and fintech entities on complex SEC and FINRA-related compliance, regulatory, and transactional matters. Valerie previously worked for more than ten years at the SEC and was the branch chief in the Office of Trading Practices in the Division of Trading and Markets. She also led examinations of broker-dealers and dually registered broker-dealers and investment advisers while serving in the Division of Examinations.
Michael currently represents investment funds and investments advisers on all aspects of the federal securities laws, including SEC registration, exemptions and examinations. As Co-Chair of Perkins’ Private Investment Funds practice, he counsels advisers in the formation and ongoing regulatory and operations of private funds. Michael also concentrates his practice on advising funds, financial institutions and market participants on regulatory considerations related to blockchain technology. In 2020, Michael obtained the first SEC staff no-action letter involving a blockchain-based digital asset that can be transferred outside of a closed platform. Michael spent over seven years at the SEC, where he held various roles, including senior counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel for the Division of Investment Management. He also served as investment management counsel to two SEC commissioners. Mike also worked in the Division of Examinations, where he led examinations of registered investment advisers, robo-advisers, exempt reporting advisers, hedge funds, crypto-asset funds, private equity funds, and venture capital funds.
Betselot advises clients on a variety of governance, regulatory compliance, and transactional issues involving registered and unregistered funds, and their investment advisers. Betselot is a former attorney-adviser in the SEC’s Office of the Chief Counsel for the Division of Investment Management. Betselot responded to interpretive and legal questions concerning the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, and other federal securities laws that affect the asset management industry, as well as participating in a number of rulemaking initiatives during his time at the SEC.
Perkins Coie’s Investment Management practice consists of over 35 lawyers who counsel on a wide range of issues arising under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Commodity Exchange Act and related rules and regulations. The group advises both market participants and investors, including pension plans and other sophisticated investors, and has extensive experience in all aspects of asset management law.
Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.
