Summary: Kenneth McCracken joins Schiff Harden after serving ten years with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Schiff Hardin announces that Kenneth McCracken has joined the firm as a partner in the Financial Markets and Products Group in its Washington office. Mr. McCracken joins the practice from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), where he served for ten years.
Mr. McCracken’s practice will focus on litigation, compliance and enforcement issues related to futures, derivatives, and commodity products as they relate to financial markets.
Mr. McCracken was formerly a Chief Trial Attorney in the Division of Enforcement for the CFTC. He supervised a team of attorneys in litigation in federal courts as well as investigations. His experience includes investigating, litigating and supervising all aspects of financial regulatory matters. These include market manipulations, trade practice violations, and commodities and securities fraud. He was also a member of the Division of Enforcement’s Manipulation and Disruptive Practices Squad. His role required him to conduct and supervise some of the CFTC’s most complex matters that involved financial, energy, metals, and agriculture commodity products. He obtained multimillion-dollar judgments and consent orders.
Mr. McCracken also worked with the CFTC’s product definition team, and, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), wrote the rule and interpretive guidance for defining a swap, security-based swap, and anti-evasion definition for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. He also co-led the division’s training on the swap definition, including the anti-evasion and exclusion rule and guidance.
Ronald S. Safer, Schiff Hardin’s managing partner, stated, “Schiff Hardin is proud of our longstanding experience advising our clients on how to navigate the complex regulatory environment in the financial markets. With the recent Dodd-Frank regulatory changes, Schiff Hardin continues to help our clients adapt and compete effectively. Ken’s experience and depth of knowledge is a tremendous addition to our team and further exemplifies Schiff Hardin’s commitment to providing top-notch legal counsel and client service. We are pleased to welcome him to the partnership.”
Mr. McCracken was enthusiastic about his move to the firm. “The exceptional team of attorneys at Schiff Hardin are known for their dedication to quality service for their clients. As the derivatives industry addresses the daily challenge of Dodd-Frank compliance and potential enforcement by the CFTC, I look forward to adding my unique experience from both enforcement and Dodd-Frank rule-writing to Schiff Hardin’s Financial Markets and Products Group,” he said.
Mr. McCracken earned his J.D. from the University of Kansas Law School, and his B.S. in political science from Oklahoma State University.
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