When she left Morgan Lewis to join firm client Och-Ziff Capital Management to lead its IPO, Rani Doyle believed that she eventually would return to Morgan Lewis. And she did, just a few months ago, as a partner in the Business and Finance Practice in Washington, D.C.

“I always hoped to come back to Morgan Lewis”, she said. “I really liked the people, the culture, and most of all the variety of work and clients.”

Rani first joined Morgan Lewis from the SEC after being recruited by David Sirignano, with whom she worked on the SEC’s Interpretive Release re: Use of Internet Web Sites To Offer Securities, Solicit Securities Transactions, or Advertise Investment Services Offshore. Her position as a lawyer with the SEC’s Division of Corporate Finance and as special counsel in the Office of International Corporate Finance within the division provided her with deep experience and knowledge of SEC regulations regarding securities offerings and related SEC rules. For her work on the “Aircraft Carrier,” a 1998 SEC rulemaking effort that proposed significant changes to modernize SEC rules and regulations relating to public company offerings and reporting, Rani received the SEC’s Capital Markets Award.

About her time at Och-Ziff, Rani said, “I was delighted for the opportunity. Like all IPOs, the work was very intensive and required significant building and teamwork. We were the first pure-play hedge fund to go public, so there wasn’t a clear model.”

While at Och-Ziff and the SEC, Rani got to know many lawyers across many firms. A big draw for returning to Morgan Lewis was her high regard for the team in the Business and Finance Practice.

“The people at Morgan Lewis are great. We have a lot of former regulators who are excellent technicians and also have significant experience in dealing with all types and sizes of companies – both public and private – and all types of issues – from the common to the highly complex. The biggest draw for me though was the relationships I have with the Business and Finance Practice partners. I’m so proud to be part of that team.”

“Also, coming back to Morgan Lewis will give me the chance to help my partners expand the SEC practice in D.C.”

She finds that governance and technology are especially hot areas in the law now. “Good governance can drive real efficiencies within a corporation. When business functions communicate well both vertically and horizontally, companies can improve investor relations, compliance, strategic planning and more. Lawyers need to understand and help clients navigate new technologies and optimize governance practices. We need to be on top of issues, anticipate new developments, and communicate them and their likely impacts to our clients,” she said.

The flexibility of working for a law firm again also appealed to Rani, as she has a husband and two children, ages 9 and 11. She’s able to flex time for school events and other important family activities.

She and her family love to travel, too. In the past two years, they visited a number of countries in Africa, Europe, and South America. “I can’t believe I walked inside the Great Pyramids and sailed on the Nile River in Egypt. It was a dream come true for me.” Rani’s father is from Punjab, India, and she is a big fan of Indian culture, especially the music and Bollywood movies. In 2015, she plans to take her family to India and visit with the few relatives who still live on their homestead. Rani wants her children to experience the India she loves. “I want my children to grow up feeling they are global citizens.”