Doreen Rachal
Partner – Sidley Austin LLP
Description of field of expertise
Doreen Rachal is a former prosecutor who primarily handles white-collar criminal defense matters. She represents companies and individuals in matters involving investigations, including grand jury matters, and enforcement actions conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and state government agencies. She has extensive experience conducting complex global internal investigations and advising boards on internal compliance programs. Her clients span a variety of industries including financial services, life sciences, maritime, and technology. Prior to joining Sidley, Doreen served as the Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit for the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston, where she prosecuted civil and criminal cases involving money laundering, securities fraud, healthcare fraud, and the seizure of assets. Doreen also regularly handles high-profile pro bono cases for the NAACP Boston Branch, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, ACLU Massachusetts, and The Innocence Project.
Doreen’s experience and commitment to public service earned her the National Bar Association’s 2019 “Outstanding Women Lawyer Hidden Figure/Impact Award.” She has also received the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 2022 Excellence in the Law Award for “Excellence in Pro Bono” for her outstanding leadership, vision, advocacy, and contributions in the community, as well as the 2018 “Top Women of Law” Award, which celebrates outstanding achievements made by exceptional women lawyers. Doreen was recognized by Massachusetts Super Lawyers for Criminal Defense: White-Collar in 2022.
Doreen received both her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, and graduate degree from The Catholic University of America. Doreen attended Howard University School of Law, where she served as Articles Editor of The Howard SCROLL Social Justice Law Review, participated on the Moot Court Team, and received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Jurisprudence, Remedies and Civil Rights Clinic.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
Face obstacles and challenges head-on. In life, we always experience obstacles and roadblocks – some of which may have a tremendous impact on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Failure, oftentimes, is inevitable, but failure pushes us to be resilient, insightful, adaptable, and more humble. Our failures also mold who we are, how we navigate the world and people around us, and our outlook on life. Forging ahead always makes us stronger, whereas maneuvering around obstacles only tends to prolong the inevitable. And, although turning our failures into successes can seem insurmountable, staying the course can be equally as rewarding.
