Raul Yanes, a former chief compliance officer and head of non-financial risk at Morgan Stanley, is set to rejoin Davis Polk & Wardwell, resuming his role as the chair of the firm’s white collar defence and investigations practice. Known for his stint as a senior White House official, Yanes is all se to bring his rich expertise to Davis Polk in the coming month.
His return to Davis Polk will see him joining the New York office as a partner, a position he first held in 1999. He kicked off his legal journey at Davis Polk in 1993, later moving into political circles as the associate counsel to President George W. Bush in 2003. Yanes senior counsel to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales two years later, and further served as general counsel to the Office of Budget and Management in 2006, simultaneously taking on the role of assistant to President Bush.
Yanes’ last stint with Davis Polk commenced in 2009 when he lent his expertise as the head of the firm’s white-collar practice out of its Washington office. During his tenure, he represented clients on multiple government-fronted investigations involving the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Congress, and executed numerous internal investigations.
Yanes’ departure from Davis Polk occurred in 2017 when he assumed the role of Morgan Stanley’s chief compliance officer, following in the footsteps of William “Billy” Fenrich, another former Davis Polk partner. In addition to his compliance duties, Yanes also oversaw the bank’s Global Financial Crimes and Operational Risk Departments. His role expanded further in 2022 when he was made the Head of Non-Financial Risk and took up the post on the bank’s operating committee, the senior-most executive body in Morgan Stanley.
The ties between Davis Polk and Morgan Stanley have always been strong. Eric Grossman, Morgan Stanley’s current legal chief, previously held a partner position at Davis Polk. Grossman assumed Morgan Stanley’s top legal role in 2012, replacing Frank Barron, who had occupied the role for 18 months post succeeding Gary Lynch, another former Davis Polk partner.
Yanes, on his return, has expressed his excitement in collaborating with his “phenomenal colleagues” as they endeavor to assist clients in navigating their most challenging matters.