About Gary DeWaal

Gary DeWaal brings substantial experience from both industry and government to his practice counseling clients on exchange-traded derivatives and cryptoassets. He advises a worldwide client base on transactional and regulatory matters relating to those and other complex financial products. Gary's clients benefit from his deep well of contacts and practical knowledge from his prior work with the world's largest exchange-traded derivatives broker and, before that, as a senior trial attorney at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Tapping deep knowledge to clear regulatory hurdles

Gary understands the urgency that drives the financial industry. His business background also gives him a unique understanding of his clients' products. This allows him to provide fast and practical responses to clients, often consulting directly with business executives as opposed to legal staff.

Before joining Katten, Gary interacted with regulators worldwide as the group general counsel of Fimat (later known as Newedge), the exchange-traded derivatives and securities broker. He also served in both business and legal roles for Brody, White & Co., and, before that, as a senior trial attorney with the CFTC's Division of Enforcement.

On multiple occasions, Gary's detailed knowledge of his clients' business has helped him prevail with regulators to close investigations before taking enforcement action. When a financial exchange was investigating one of his clients, a multinational investment bank, Gary went beyond avoiding disciplinary activity; he worked with the exchange to amend a rule predicated on an outdated trading environment to accommodate his client's current business. In another probe, Gary's knowledge of algorithmic trading and futures markets in China and the United States helped him persuade a principal US derivatives exchange not to bring any charges against a China-based proprietary trading firm and solely issue a cautionary letter instead.

Gary brings a similar level of on-the-ground knowledge to his work advising on the regulation of cryptoassets and blockchain technology. His study of computer science while obtaining his MBA and three early programming languages allows him to quickly grasp many of the technological aspects of this newly developing field.

Gary previously taught derivatives regulation as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School. He currently serves on the faculty of the State University of New York Buffalo Law School's New York City Program on Finance & Law. He regularly speaks internationally at financial services and cryptoasset-themed conferences and is the author of Bridging the Week, the multi-award winning and internationally followed blog covering the financial services industry.

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Practice Focus

  • Regulatory issues impacting financial intermediaries and exchanges as well as clearing and settlement organizations, including laws and rules governing exchange-traded derivatives and cryptoassets
  • Structuring and marketing of complex futures and derivatives
  • Regulatory questions, investigations and enforcement actions, including defending clients in regulatory investigations
  • Regulatory issues related to trading, especially trade practices and quantitative and algorithmic trading

News

Publications

Presentations and Events

Practices
Industries
Education
  • The State University of New York Buffalo Law School, JD
  • The State University of New York at Buffalo, MBA, with honors
  • The State University of New York at Stony Brook, BA, with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Epsilon
Bar Admissions
  • New York
Community Involvements
  • ABA Taskforce on Blockchains, Cryptocurrencies, and Investment Management
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Technology Advisory Committee
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Technology Advisory Committee, Virtual Currencies Subcommittee
  • Futures Industry Association (FIA), Law & Compliance Division, Executive Committee
  • Institute for Financial Markets, Board of Trustees
  • Thalēs Trading Solutions LLC, Advisory Board
Recognitions
  • Chambers USA
    Capital Markets: Derivatives, 2020
  • International Law Office
    Top Five General Counsel in the World, 2010
  • JD Supra Reader's Choice - Top Author
    Compliance, 2019
    Cybersecurity and Compliance, 2016
    Finance & Banking, 2019
    Securities, 2018−2020
  • The Legal 500 United States
    Recommended Attorney, 2018–2020
  • National Law Journal
    Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Fintech Trailblazer, 2018
  • National Law Review
    Go-To Thought Leader Award, 2018