When the government calls, clients want Adriaen to respond. He guides business leaders, companies, and regulated entities facing SEC or DOJ investigations, enforcement actions, or high-stakes litigation issues with clarity, urgency, and skill. Clients value his ability to employ empathy to demystify stressful situations.
Adriaen brings decades of experience to the table. He served at the SEC, led in-house compliance and litigation teams, and now advises clients in private practice. Adriaen knows how regulators think, how investigations unfold, and how to craft the strongest possible response. Executives trust Adriaen not just for his legal insight, but for his steady hand. He cuts through complexity, protects reputations, and helps clients regain control when it matters most.
Adriaen knows how the SEC thinks – because he’s been on the inside. As a former senior counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, he doesn’t just know the rules – he understands how investigations unfold, how decisions get made, and how to influence outcomes. Adriaen works strategically with clients facing investigations to shape the narrative, reduce exposure, and protect clients’ interests.
In one high-stakes matter, Adriaen represented the chair of a multinational oil and gas company under scrutiny from U.S. and international regulators. After years of complex enforcement actions and litigation, the matter ended with no charges against his client – and even prompted the SEC to revise its rule on how companies account for proved oil and gas reserves. The result speaks to Adriaen’s tenacity, strategic thinking, and relentless client advocacy.
As former in-house compliance and litigation counsel, Adriaen has guided companies through major mergers, government investigations, and global compliance challenges. He’s built and implemented corporate compliance programs from the ground up and understands that successful compliance requires more than a binder full of policies – it takes sustained follow-through and practical integration into business operations.
Adriaen also gets the pressure in-house counsel face. He brings discipline to legal budgets, communicates clearly and often, and keeps clients informed – not just about the law, but about process, timing, and cost. He partners with clients to deliver not only strong legal outcomes, but also real business value.
Adriaen founded SECIL Law with a clear mission: assemble a team of elite attorneys drawn from top law firms, government agencies, and successful solo practices, who are united by a shared commitment to delivering outstanding client-centered representation at the highest level.
Known among his colleagues as the person who consistently drives operation excellence behind the scenes, Adriaen ensures that every aspect of the firm is aligned with client priorities. His unwavering dedication to doing things “the right way” took root early – first at the U.S. Naval Academy, then during a decade of service in the U.S. Marine Corps as both an infantry officer and a Judge Advocate. That experience instilled a relentless attention to detail, a mission- focused mindset, and the ability to connect authentically with people across diverse backgrounds.
Executives, general counsel, and colleagues consistently turn to Adriaen for legal strategies that are both sophisticated and pragmatic, delivered with the responsiveness and judgment that high-stakes matters demand.
Prior to founding SECIL Law, Adriaen was a partner and counsel in the DC offices of several large, multinational firms, including Mayer Brown and Crowell & Moring. He also co-founded Murphy & McGonigle, now part of Davis Wright Tremaine. Adriaen also brings several years of in-house experience as litigation and compliance counsel, first building a compliance program from the ground up with CSC (now DXC Technology) and serving as its chief litigation counsel, then serving as chief compliance officer and chief litigation counsel for CSRA Inc. (now part of GDIT). Serving first as a Marine Corps infantry officer, Adriaen began his legal career as a Marine Judge Advocate. He then formed the foundation for his extensive securities experience as Senior Counsel with the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
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