Senior SEC Attorney Joins Paul, Weiss as Counsel in Private Funds Group

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced today that Jennifer Songer, former Policy Counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has joined the firm as counsel in the Private Funds Group of the Corporate Department. Ms. Songer, who will be resident in Washington, D.C., will focus on a wide range of legal, regulatory and compliance matters for major global investment firms.    

“We are pleased to welcome Jennifer to our firm,” said Paul, Weiss chair Brad S. Karp. “Jennifer’s experience as a key legal and policy advisor within the SEC on investment management regulation will be incredibly valuable to our clients, which include some of the largest and most sophisticated private fund sponsors in the world.”

“Jennifer is one of the leading lawyers today focused on emerging regulation of the private funds space,” said Marco V. Masotti, global co-head of Paul, Weiss’s Private Funds Group. “Her experience further strengthens our group’s advisory capabilities at a time when clients have a pressing need to understand the changing regulatory landscape.”

“With her background spearheading recent industry-changing private fund rulemaking and policy initiatives, Jennifer will enable our firm to continue to provide the kind of cutting-edge, insightful advice our funds clients have come to rely on us for,” said Udi Grofman, global co-head of Paul, Weiss’s Private Funds Group.

Ms. Songer spent seven years at the SEC in key policy roles relating to the investment management industry, with an emphasis primarily on private funds. Most recently, Ms. Songer served as Policy Counsel in the Office of the Chair, working closely with SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Prior to assuming that role, she was the Branch Chief for Private Funds in the Division of Investment Management’s Investment Adviser Regulation Office.

Ms. Songer began her career in private practice at two major law firms, where she advised clients on the structuring, formation and private offering requirements of private funds and counseled investment advisers on regulatory matters.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Paul, Weiss, which is working with some of the largest and most sophisticated private funds,” said Ms. Songer. “Paul, Weiss is a commercial, client-focused firm, and I look forward to helping clients navigate the current regulatory environment.”

Ms. Songer holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.