Sara Cortes and David Bartels Named Deputy Chief Counsels of the Division of Investment Management

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Sara Cortes and David P. Bartels have been named Deputy Chief Counsels of the Division of Investment Management. As Deputy Chief Counsels, Ms. Cortes and Mr. Bartels will join a leadership team and staff that are responsible for responding to requests for legal and policy guidance, evaluating applications for exemptive relief, coordinating international and legislative technical assistance, and running the division’s enforcement liaison program. Ms. Cortes will oversee the exemptive applications program and Mr. Bartels will oversee the enforcement liaison program. They will share responsibility for staff legal guidance by the Chief Counsel’s Office.

Ms. Cortes has been a member of the division’s Rulemaking Office since 2013, serving most recently as Assistant Director and head of the Investment Adviser Regulation Office. In that capacity, she has led the development of recommendations for rulemaking and other policy initiatives under the Advisers Act of 1940.

Mr. Bartels has served in a number of capacities in the Division of Investment Management, most recently as Senior Policy Advisor to Director Dalia Blass. His work has encompassed rulemaking, applications for exemptive relief, and requests for legal and policy guidance across diverse subjects under the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act of 1940.

"I am excited for Sara and David to take on these new leadership roles. I have worked with both of them for many years and I am delighted that the Chief Counsel’s Office will benefit from their extensive experience, deep knowledge of the 1940 Acts and thoughtful leadership skills. They are highly respected by their peers and will be a fantastic addition to the division’s senior leadership team,” said Dalia Blass, Director of the Division of Investment Management.

“I have had the opportunity to work closely with both Sara and David since my return to the Commission. Each is an excellent lawyer with a breadth of experience and demonstrated good judgment. They will be tremendous assets to the important work of the Chief Counsel’s Office on behalf of investors,” said Paul G. Cellupica, Deputy Director and Chief Counsel of the Division of Investment Management.

"The staff of the Chief Counsel’s Office is remarkably talented, and it’s an honor to be part of such a dedicated team,” said Ms. Cortes and Mr. Bartels. “We’re excited about this opportunity to continue serving Main Street investors while working on the kinds of innovative requests that have helped make the U.S. asset management markets vibrant.”

Before joining the Division of Investment Management, Ms. Cortes was Counsel and Senior Adviser to Chairman Elisse Walter. She first joined the agency in the Legal Policy Group of the Office of General Counsel in 2009, advising the Commission on enforcement matters. In 2017, Ms. Cortes received the Commission’s Exceptional Service Award for her leadership on the Commission’s Investment Company Reporting Modernization initiative. Prior to joining the SEC, Ms. Cortes was Counsel in the Legal Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as an enforcement and litigation attorney. Ms. Cortes began her legal career in private practice at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. Ms. Cortes earned her J.D. and Master of Science of Foreign Service, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and her bachelor’s degree in international studies and French from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.

Mr. Bartels joined the division in 2010, starting in the Investment Adviser Regulation Office, where he received the Commission’s Law and Policy Award for work on private fund adviser reporting. Mr. Bartels was Branch Chief in the Exemptive Applications and Chief Counsel’s Offices from 2011-2016, focusing on exchange-traded funds, business development companies, funds of funds, and affiliated transactions. Mr. Bartels also served as counsel to Commissioner Kara M. Stein, advising on a wide range of matters under the federal securities laws and supporting the Commission’s Diversity Council. Prior to joining the Division, Mr. Bartels worked in the corporate practice at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where he advised clients on securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions. Mr. Bartels received his law degree from Yale Law School and his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Buffalo.