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A former federal prosecutor and SEC enforcement branch chief, Pravin defends and counsels clients in criminal, regulatory, and civil litigation matters.
Informed by his experience with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Pravin Rao represents companies, boards, and senior executives in high-stakes criminal and regulatory matters. These include cross-border government inquiries and proceedings, internal investigations, cybersecurity matters, and other litigation. He assists clients in inquiries by the DOJ, SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), state attorney general offices, and other governmental and self-regulatory agencies.
Pravin helps clients with issues related to accounting and financial fraud, foreign and domestic bribery and corruption, and Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions. He also handles matters involving money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, insider trading and other securities fraud, cyber breaches, ransomware attacks, data privacy, tax fraud, the False Claims Act, and related civil litigation.
Pravin was chosen by the DOJ and SEC in a multiyear appointment as a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) monitor of a large multinational corporation, overseeing, evaluating, and testing its anti-corruption compliance program. He has also served as a court-appointed examiner in a federal bankruptcy proceeding where he was tasked with investigating a company’s pension program. In his role as an assistant U.S. attorney, Pravin supervised and developed strategies in investigations that targeted violations of federal criminal laws. He conducted parallel investigations with civil regulatory agencies in complex cases involving large publicly traded companies, officers and directors, broker-dealers, investment advisors, and hedge funds. He also first-chaired numerous jury trials and argued appeals in both federal and state courts.
Ranked by Chambers USA 12 Years in a Row
White Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Professional Recognition
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2019-2024
- Consistently listed in Benchmark Litigation: Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys as a "Litigation Star" in National White-Collar Crime/Enforcement/Investigations
- Ranked by Chambers USA as "America's Leading Lawyer" for White Collar Crime & Government Investigations, 2013-2024
- Listed as an Illinois Super Lawyer as published by Super Lawyers Magazine, 2010-2022, 2024
- Named to the Lawyers of Color Power List, 2020
- Rated Superb on Avvo.com
- "Chairman’s Award for Excellence," U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- "Performance Award," U.S. Department of Justice
- "Outstanding Service Award," U.S. Internal Revenue Service
- "Superior Contribution Award," U.S. Secret Service
- "Award for Exceptional Work and Dedication," U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
- "Outstanding Contribution Award," Illinois Arson Award Committee
*The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no certificate, award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.
Professional Leadership
- Member of the CJA panel for the Northern District of Illinois representing criminal defendants in Federal Court as court-appointed counsel, 2017-2024
- University of Illinois College of Law Dean’s Advisory Board, 2020-2024
- Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate & Securities Law Institute, Executive Committee, 2018 -2024; Planning Committee, 2017-2018
- Lawyers-Lend-A-Hand, Treasurer, 2021-2023, Board of Directors, 2017-2023
- The Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, Board Member, 2016-2020
- Law360 White Collar Editorial Advisory Board, Member, 2015-2016
- Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, Former Board Member
- Asian American Law Foundation, Former Board Member
- Association of SEC Alumni (ASECA), Former Regional Chairman
- Asian American Bar Association, Former Board Member and Treasurer
Related Employment
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago, IL, Assistant U.S. Attorney, 2003-2007
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Chicago, IL, Branch Chief, 2000-2003; Senior Attorney, 1999-2000
- Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago, IL, Assistant State’s Attorney, 1995-1999
- Inland Steel Industries Inc., Chicago, IL, Business Strategy & Operations, 1989-1992
- Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, MO, Financial Analyst, 1988-1989
