Hinshaw Partner Vaishali Rao Selected for Chicago Lawyer’s 2023 Top Women in Law Awards

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that partner Vaishali Rao has been selected for the Chicago Lawyer’s Fourth Annual "Top Women in Law: Leaders Leaning In" awards.

The award recognized 37 Chicago area attorneys who have worked to advance other women in the profession and are shining examples of leadership and success. Law Bulletin Media received more than 300 nominations for this year’s awards.

"Throughout her career, Vaishali has been a powerful advocate of women and diverse attorneys at Hinshaw and within the legal industry," said Peter Sullivan, chairman. "Through her leadership, she has been a driving force behind many of our equity initiatives, and she has positively influenced the careers of many of her colleagues. We are delighted that she has been recognized by Chicago Lawyer for her achievements and leadership."

Rao is a member of the firm’s Consumer Financial Services practice and leads the Regulatory & Compliance team. She built the firm’s national team of regulatory and compliance attorneys, primarily consisting of women attorneys. A go-to legal resource on consumer protection compliance matters, Rao advises lenders, servicers, debt buyers, collectors, and fintech businesses in compliance issues, supervisory examinations, investigations, and litigation brought by state and federal government agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and state banking regulators.

In addition to her practice, Rao is a member of Hinshaw’s Management Committee and several other firm committees. She is a longtime advocate for women and underrepresented persons and has influenced the firm’s hiring and retention policies. She also mentors a number of associates.

Rao is also a recognized thought leader and was recently widely quoted by national media outlets in coverage of oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the Biden administration’s student debt relief plan.

Prior to joining Hinshaw, she served in the Consumer Fraud Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. In that role, she led high-profile multistate investigations and litigations, including large pharmaceutical cases, the National Foreclosure Settlement, fair lending and securitization cases, and student loan lending and servicing investigations. She was instrumental in the development of a $70 million grant program to reverse the effects of the foreclosure crisis. Previously, Rao also served as Assistant Counsel in the Illinois House of Representatives.

View the Women in Law honorees