Katten Partner, Former CFTC GC Daniel Davis Named Crypto Trailblazer

(WASHINGTON, DC) Katten announced today that Daniel Davis, a Financial Markets and Regulation partner who supports clients in the fields of cryptoassets and derivatives by providing practical advisory services for their ongoing business activities and assistance regarding regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, was honored among the 2022 Cryptocurrency/Blockchain/Fintech Trailblazers by The National Law Journal, an ALM publication.

Before joining Katten, Davis served for four years as General Counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), heading the agency's 65-person Office of the General Counsel. In this role, he managed review of all proposed and final rules and other recommended agency and staff actions; reviewed all enforcement actions and addressed an array of legal questions about labor and employment, congressional inquiries and other matters.

"Dan leverages his exceptional experience tracking the growth of cryptocurrency and other digital assets, which has created enormous opportunities and risks for clients. This has expanded need for the kind of broad-based, trailblazing legal services he provides," said Lance Zinman, Global Chairman of Katten's Financial Markets and Funds group, which includes Dan's practice.

"Dan is an extremely skilled attorney who knows the processes, the players and particularly the ever-changing regulation impacting digital assets and other areas," Zinman added. "He can defend clients in any forum and is quite worthy of the Trailblazer distinction."

Davis began at the CFTC in 2017, shortly after the then-chairman established LabCFTC to help the agency better understand developments in digital assets and fintech matters. That ground-breaking program’s director reported directly to Davis and the program now reports directly to the chairman as the Office of Technology and Innovation. During his tenure, Davis received the CFTC's highest honor, the Chairman's Award for Excellence, given annually to one employee for extraordinary work.

At Katten, Davis co-hosts the "Crypto with Katten" series, which recently presented "Summer 2022: The Winter of (Crypto's) Discontent — A Review of Current Legal and Regulatory Developments." In addition to his work with participants in the crypto industry, Davis works with futures commission merchants, swap dealers, hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, designated contract markets and derivatives clearing organizations, among others, to navigate rules issued by financial agencies. He also advises on potential enforcement priorities, staff relief and exemptive orders as well as comments on proposed financial agency rules.

Davis is the 13th Katten partner over the past four years to be named an ALM Trailblazer. The honor spotlights attorneys and other professionals who are "agents of change" in their respective practice areas. Selectees are profiled in the American Lawyer and National Law Journal.

Zinman was distinguished last year for his pioneering legal work in the area of proprietary and algorithmic trading. Other Katten honorees include Real Estate partner Louise Carroll, who was named a Trailblazer last month; Commercial Litigation chair David Crichlow; Financial Markets and Regulation chair Gary DeWaal; Corporate partner Mark Grossmann; Litigation partner David Halberstadter; Katten CEO Noah Heller; East Coast Real Estate chair Kenneth Lore; Health Care partner Laura Keidan Martin; Entertainment and Media Litigation chair/LA office managing partner Zia Modabber; Intellectual Property department chair Deepro Mukerjee; Dallas office managing partner Mark Solomon; and Securities Litigation chair Bruce Vanyo.