Bio

Norm Champ is an American attorney, author, and former government official who served as the Director of the Division of Investment Management of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Deputy Director of the SEC's Office of Compliance, Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) from 2010 to 2015.

Champ is currently a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he leads the regulatory solutions practice in the Investment Funds Group. He advises private fund sponsors on navigating the constantly changing regulatory landscape both in the US and other countries.

At Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Champ is a partner in the New York office, heading the regulatory solutions practice in the Investment Funds Group. He advises private fund sponsors on navigating the constantly changing regulatory landscape both in the US and other countries. His unique perspective as a former regulator, former partner of a private fund sponsor, and current law firm partner makes him sought-after for guidance in this field.

In April 2025, America First Policy Institute (AFPI) named Champ as the new Chair of AFPI’s Financial Freedom Initiative, which advocates for policies that shrink the enormous administrative state and curb its overregulation of economic activities through a constellation of agencies. The net effect of this system has stifled prosperity and restricted freedom for all Americans.

In 2019, McGraw-Hill published his second book, Mastering Money: How to Beat Debt, Build Wealth, and Be Prepared for Any Financial Crisis. The book aims to help Americans who are fearful of financial problems by providing them with guidance on organizing their finances and investing for the future and want to recapture their piece of the American dream.

In 2017, McGraw-Hill published his first book, Going Public: My Adventures Inside the SEC and How to Prevent the Next Devastating Crisis. This book shares his experiences at the agency and sheds light on the regulatory process and government policy making. It received positive reviews from various publications including The Wall Street Journal.

During his time at the SEC, Champ played a leading role in monitoring the investment management industry and addressing regulatory risks and led the SEC’s interactions with the Financial Stability Oversight Council as the Council turned its attention to designating asset management firms as “systemically important.” He also worked on crisis management efforts to protect customers of securities firms. For his service at the SEC, Champ received the Chairman’s Award for Law and Policy in 2011, the Chairman’s Award for Labor Management Relations in 2011 and the Chairman’s Analytical Methods Award in 2013.

Prior to becoming the Director of the Division of Investment Management, Champ held positions as Deputy Director of the SEC's Office of Compliance, Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) and Associate Regional Director for Examinations in the SEC's New York Regional Office. In these roles, he supervised examinations of various entities registered within the SEC.

From 1999 until 2009 Champ served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Chilton Investment Company. Prior to joining Chilton in 1999, Champ was at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell. From 1990 to 1992, Champ clerked for the Honorable Charles S. Haight, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Champ received his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in History from Princeton University in 1985, a Master’s degree in War Studies from King's College London, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, in 1986, and a law degree, cum laude from Harvard Law School, in 1989.

Champ has been featured on Newsmax, Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNBC, CBS, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, Reuters, New York Daily News, MarketWatch, The Atlantic, The Hill, Financial Times, New York Times, Law360, Pensions & Investments, Cheddar News, ThinkAdvisor, Above The Law and Hedge Fund Law Report.