Ownership Submission
FORM 3
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  Smernoff Chris
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
03/30/2018
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Ellington Financial LLC [EFC]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
53 FOREST AVENUE
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chief Accounting Officer
5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

OLD GREENWICH, CT 06870
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)
3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
LTIP Units (1)   (2)   (2) Common shares rep. limited liabiilty company interests 12,881 $ 0 (3) D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Smernoff Chris
53 FOREST AVENUE
OLD GREENWICH, CT 06870
      Chief Accounting Officer  

Signatures

/s/ Jason Frank, as attorney-in-fact for Christopher Smernoff 04/02/2018
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Represents a separate non-voting class of limited liability company interests ("LTIP Units") of Ellington Financial LLC (the "Company"), which are structured as profits interests.
(2) 10,235 of the LTIP Units have vested. 2,646 LTIP Units remain forfeitable, subject to the reporting person's continued service as an officer of the Issuer, until December 12, 2018.
(3) The LTIP Units may be converted upon vesting, at the election of the holder, into common shares representing limited liability company interests of the Issuer on a one-for-one basis. The LTIP Units were issued pursuant to, and are subject to the terms and conditions of, the Issuer's 2007 Incentive Plan for Individuals or the Issuer's 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, as applicable. The right to convert LTIP Units into common shares representing limited liability company interests does not have an expiration date.
 
Remarks:
Exhibit 24 - Power of Attorney

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