Leading Indian-American lawyer Preeta Bansal has been appointed as the General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Management and Budget in the upcoming administration of Barack Obama.
The transition team also announced filling up of other vacancies in the department, including Jeffrey Liebman
as Executive Associate Director; Steve Kosiak as Associate Director for Defense and International Affairs, Robert Gordon as Associate Director for Education, Income Maintenance and Labour and Xavier de Souza Briggs as Associate Director for General Government Programs.
"The Office of Management and Budget in my administration will not only design, manage and implement our budget, it will focus on cutting waste and making sure that our government is serving the American people effectively and efficiently. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead," Obama said in a statement issued along with the announcement.
Bansal, who was mentioned as possible Solicitor General in the Obama Administration, is currently Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP in New York City.
Considered to be part of the Obama's inner circle, Bansal has also been a Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, serving as Chair from 2004-2005.