From derivatives products to cryptocurrencies, Dan Davis helps clients navigate ever-changing regulatory requirements. Drawing on his years of experience as General Counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Dan understands how financial services agencies operate. As an experienced complex civil litigation attorney, Dan can defend clients in any forum.
Regulatory perspective meets business-oriented counsel
Clients trust Dan’s experience to help mitigate risks in the face of investigations and enforcement actions and to assess rules issued by financial agencies. From futures commission merchants to swap dealers to derivatives clearing organizations, he is well-positioned to advise on potential enforcement priorities, staff relief and exemptive orders, and submit comments on proposed financial agency rules. Dan has particular experience in handling fraud-related allegations under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and can help clients develop compliance practices for meeting regulatory requirements. He also has successfully challenged rulemakings by financial agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) first rulemaking under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act regarding proxy access and the SEC’s attempt to regulate fixed indexed annuities.
In Dan’s role at the CFTC, he assisted with the creation and development of LabCFTC, the agency’s hub for engagement with the fintech community to promote innovation and fair competition. He is highly experienced with helping crypto exchanges, bank and other fintech entities in working with distributed ledger technologies. He also provides counsel on meeting regulatory requirements when bringing new products to market. Dan had a distinguished career at the CFTC, receiving the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in 2019. This award is the CFTC’s highest honor, given to one employee annually in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments and superior service dedicated to realizing the vision, mission and values of the CFTC.
Dan has the full range of litigation experience, having practiced in federal and state court, defending clients in arbitration and jury trial, and arguing ten cases before the federal courts of appeals. He excels at crisis litigation, having successfully obtained a rarely granted writ of mandamus on behalf of the CFTC. Dan uses his extensive litigation experience to advise clients on both litigation and regulatory matters.
Previously, Dan served as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division for the US Department of Justice. He also clerked for the Honorable Douglas H. Ginsburg, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. While in law school, Dan served as Executive Editor of The University of Chicago Law Review.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Daniel J. Davis
- The Lesson of Prometheus – A Special Purpose Broker Dealer May Cause Havoc in TradFi by Unilaterally Declaring ETH To Be A Security - (Posted On Monday, March 11, 2024)
- Financial Markets and Funds Quick Take | Issue 23 - (Posted On Thursday, February 15, 2024)
- CFTC Settles Enforcement Action Against Commodity Trading Firm for Alleged Fraud in Connection with Physical Commodity Trading Only – No Derivatives - (Posted On Wednesday, January 17, 2024)
- Foreign Listed Stock Index Futures and Options Approvals December 2023 - (Posted On Tuesday, December 19, 2023)
- Back to the Future: CFTC Proposes to Amend Customer Funds Investment Rule Including to Again Permit Investments in Certain Non-US Sovereign Debt - (Posted On Wednesday, November 15, 2023)
- US Court Holds DeFi Developer Cannot Be Held Liable for 3d Party Bad Actors; A Week Later, CFTC Suggests Contrary View Over One Commissioner’s Dissent - (Posted On Tuesday, October 24, 2023)
- SEC’s Request for Interlocutory Appeal of Favorable Rulings for Ripple Labs’ Defendants Rejected Based on Well-Settled Law - (Posted On Tuesday, October 24, 2023)
- CFTC Resuscitates Version of MLB’s Former 'Neighborhood Play' to Sue Principal of Defunct Crypto-Asset Entity Voyager as a Commodity Pool Operator - (Posted On Tuesday, October 24, 2023)
- Tread with Caution: New CFTC Enforcement Advisory on Penalties, Monitors and Admissions Portends Increased Compliance Costs for Industry - (Posted On Tuesday, October 24, 2023)
- Offering of NFTs Allegedly Promoted as Investments Claimed To Be Unregistered Securities Offering by SEC in Settled Enforcement Action - (Posted On Monday, September 18, 2023)