Former CFTC General Counsel Joins Skadden

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 23, 2017 – Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is pleased to announce that Jonathan L. Marcus, former general counsel for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has joined the firm’s Derivatives Group as of counsel in the Washington, D.C. office. His practice will focus on financial services regulatory and legislative advice, as well as civil and appellate litigation and government investigatory matters.

As general counsel at the CFTC, Mr. Marcus advised on rule makings and interpretations, providing guidance in areas such as the implementation of swaps market reforms contained in the Dodd-Frank Act, with particular emphasis on cross-border regulation. He also supervised litigation in federal courts and advised the CFTC's Division of Enforcement. Additionally, he provided assistance to the commission on congressional investigations and legislative issues. From 2011-13, Mr. Marcus served as the CFTC’s deputy general counsel for litigation. In that role, he argued and won a crucial victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, defending the CFTC’s approach to the consideration of costs and benefits under the Commodity Exchange Act.

“Jonathan’s depth of experience in navigating the complexities of derivatives regulations will be tremendously beneficial to our clients as they conduct business in a constantly evolving global market,” said Mark Young, co-head of the firm’s Derivatives Group. “We are delighted to be adding such an accomplished lawyer to our team.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan to the firm,” said David Meister, head of Skadden’s Government Enforcement and White Collar Crime Group in New York and former enforcement director at the CFTC. “He was a trusted colleague for many years at the CFTC, and I am looking forward to again working with him on derivatives enforcement matters.”

“Skadden has an unparalleled reputation for handling intricate, high-stakes matters,” said Mr. Marcus. “I am very excited to work alongside such respected colleagues to help protect our clients’ interests and achieve their business goals.”

Earlier in his career, Mr. Marcus served as assistant to the solicitor general at the U.S. Department of Justice, arguing five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also served in the Appellate Section of the department’s Criminal Division, where he briefed and argued numerous cases in the federal courts of appeals. Prior to joining the CFTC, Mr. Marcus was of counsel in the appellate litigation group at another major law firm.

Mr. Marcus was a law clerk for Judge José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and is a former Georgetown University Law Center adjunct professor. A graduate of Yale College, he received his law degree from Yale Law School in 1994.