Vaishali Rao Selected as a Global 2026 INvolve Heroes Role Model

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is very pleased to announce that partner Vaishali Rao has been named to the 2026 INvolve Heroes Role Model list. She is featured in the Top 100 Executives directory, which honors leaders who are “leading by example and driving change to increase gender diversity in the workplace.”

About the 2026 INvolve Role Model Heroes

INvolve is a global diversity and inclusion consultancy and network. The organization works directly with corporate leadership teams to build workplace cultures where everyone can thrive and belong.

Each year, the global Heroes Role Model list recognizes a select group of individuals worldwide who are driving inclusion for women in business. Honorees are celebrated for their achievements and for their influence in advocating for inclusion within their companies and the wider business community.

Notable previous winners include Serpil Timuray, CEO of Vodafone Investments; Shirine Khoury-Haq, Group Chief Executive, The Co-operative Group; Dean Curtis, Chief Executive Officer, LexisNexis; and Megan Clarken, CEO of Criteo.

About Vaishali

Firm Leadership

Vaishali serves on both the Hinshaw Management Committee and the Executive Committee. In these roles, she has direct influence over the firm’s operational and strategic decisions, the partner promotion process, and compensation decisions affecting women attorneys.

As a leader and role model, she goes out of her way on a daily basis to reach out to new women attorneys, provide helpful connections to other partners at the firm, mentor and advise on career advancement, and provide meaningful opportunities and a place at the table. A seasoned Consumer Financial Services partner, she also leads the Regulatory & Compliance team, which is largely comprised of women.

Legal Practice

A nationally acclaimed regulatory attorney, Vaishali represents leading national financial service companies in complex regulatory examinations, investigations, and litigation brought by state and federal agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and state banking regulators. She also represents student loan servicers and is recognized as a go-to thought leader on related topics.

Community Involvement

Vaishali is also dedicated to civic and nonprofit engagement and has had a significant and meaningful impact on her community. She serves as legal counsel to the Illinois State Treasurer, advising on the Student Investment Account, a program designed to expand access to higher education for residents statewide.

Previously, she contributed her time and talent to critical initiatives involving juvenile justice reform, consumer protection, fair housing recovery efforts following the financial crisis, and pandemic-related legal and policy efforts. She has also served as an alternate member of the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals, is a 2020 fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago, and was a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.