Don Andrews, former Chief Compliance Officer for Bessemer Trust, Joins Venable as Partner in New York Corporate Group

Mr. Andrews brings wealth of in-house experience in financial compliance and risk management from leading investment advisory and wealth management firms; was previously special trial counsel and branch chief with SEC’s Division of Enforcement

New York, NY (December 1, 2015) – Venable LLP has made a prominent addition to its Corporate Compliance Group with the arrival of Don Andrews, a leading compliance and risk management attorney with senior experience in both regulatory enforcement and the corporate suite at some of the country’s leading financial and wealth management firms.  He joins the firm as a partner in the New York office.

Mr. Andrews was most recently Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Risk Management at Bessemer Trust, a top wealth management and investment advisory firm, with more than $100 billion in assets under supervision

At Bessemer, Mr. Andrews oversaw compliance issues for six different banks, foreign and domestic investment advisers, a broker-dealer operation and also numerous proprietary mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity funds.  He regularly worked with the full slate of federal, state and international financial regulators.

Among other duties, Mr. Andrews was responsible for overhauling the entire compliance and risk infrastructure throughout Bessemer, which resulted in the development of a new firm-wide Compliance and Risk Management Program spanning their 19 offices globally. During his tenure, Bessemer achieved the highest regulatory rating in every one of its nearly 170 entity level examinations by regulators, an unparalleled record of success.

Even prior to his tenure at Bessemer, Mr. Andrews had developed a deep background in financial compliance. He previously served as Chief Compliance Officer for Van Kampen Investments, a mutual fund complex with over $80 billion under management.  He also served as Deputy General Counsel at EVEREN Securities, where he worked with a team that successfully defended hundreds of arbitration claims. Mr. Andrews resume also includes an accomplished stint as a government enforcement lawyer. He rose to become both a Special Trial Counsel and Branch Chief in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement

“Don brings an extraordinary degree of experience in compliance and risk management for the financial sector, along with the outlook and seasoning of a government regulatory and enforcement lawyer,” said Larry Gesner, who chairs Venable’s Business Division.

“It’s significant that Don spent the early years of his career in the courtroom, where he tried enforcement cases and arbitrations, frequently involving financial disputes,” Mr. Gesner continued.  “Add to that his cumulative experience crafting and implementing global compliance policies for some of the world’s leading investment management firms and you have a lawyer who understands risk and financial best practices from every conceivable angle.  We are fortunate to have Don as part of our overall corporate group and are excited by the value-added counsel he’ll bring to our financial sector clients.”

Mr. Andrews commented on his move: “Corporate compliance officers face real challenges these days, given the regulatory scrutiny that has continued to mount since the financial crisis.  Regulations can be daunting, resources are scarce and they are often mired in political pressures.  They are looking for assistance from people who know what they have to go through, speak their language and know how to implement programs efficiently.  That’s Venable.”

Mr. Andrews noted Venable’s deep roster of former financial regulators, federal and state prosecutors, as well as experience by many of the firm’s attorneys with corporate backgrounds. That includes fellow New York partner Michael Manley, who also has served as Chief Compliance Officer for a large registered investment adviser.

“I have known Venable for years as a go-to firm for advising financial services firms on thorny compliance and regulatory issues. Mike and I look forward to working together with the rest of the team at Venable in building something quite extraordinary.”.

Mr. Andrews received his J.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Kent Law School.  He earned an  M.A. from Harvard University and his B.A. from Elmhurst College.