MFA WEST 2022 - Agenda

March 7, 2022 - March 8, 2022
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills Los Angeles, CA
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Agenda

  • March 7, 2022
  • March 8, 2022

9:00am–12:30pm

Invitation Only — Pensions, Endowments, Foundations, Sovereign Wealth Funds

Institutional Investor Symposium

12:30pm

Lunch

1:00pm

Welcome

1:10pm

Investor and Manager Town Hall

Panelists:

Reggie Dodge Chief Compliance Officer & General Counsel, Emso Asset Management

Reggie started her career in 1997 as an attorney at Anderson, Kill & Olick in New York. Reggie now focuses her practice on corporate, regulatory, governance, and ESG-related matters. Reggie is currently the chairperson of AIMA’s Sound Practices Committee and sits on the board of EMpower – The Emerging Markets Foundation. She joined Emso in 2013. Reggie earned a BA in Philosophy and a JD both from the University of Michigan, and has an MBA from London Business School.

Justin Holm Director, Operational Due Diligence, UTIMCO
Marty Meekins Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel, Empyrean Capital Partners, LP

Marty Meekins has over 20 years of legal and business experience. Mr. Meekins joined Empyrean in 2011 from Perella Weinberg Partners, a global financial services firm that provides advisory and asset management services, where he was Assistant General Counsel from 2007-2011. Mr. Meekins served as General Counsel to Ace Ventures, a private investment firm from 2006-2007. From 1997 to 2005, Mr. Meekins was a Corporate Associate at several top national law firms, including Vinson & Elkins in Houston, Covington & Burling in Washington, DC, and White and Case LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Meekins received his BA in 1993 from The University of Texas at Austin in Plan II, with honors, was a Dean’s Distinguished Graduate and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1997, he contemporaneously received both his MBA from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business and JD from The University of Texas School of Law. Mr. Meekins is member of the American Bar Association’s Hedge Funds Subcommittee, as well as a former member of the New York City Bar Association’s Private Investment Fund Committee.

John Ringwood Deputy General Counsel, Fir Tree Partners
Heather L. Traeger General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

As General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Heather Traeger is responsible for all legal services and compliance for the sixth largest public pension fund in the United States, including those related to the retirement system’s pension plan and two health care programs. She serves as General Counsel for the headquarters located in Austin, Texas and the subsidiary located in London.

Ms. Traeger’s legal practice includes a strong regulatory background, with significant experience advising a variety of financial institutions. She has more than 22 years of experience in the financial services industry, including as Senior Counsel to Commissioner Roel Campos at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Counsel to Commissioner Isaac Hunt, and Senior Counsel in the Division of Market Regulation (now Trading and Markets).

Prior to joining TRS, Ms. Traeger was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, in Washington, D.C., in the Financial Services Practice and served as an Associate Counsel at the Investment Company Institute (ICI). Currently, she serves on the ILPA Legal Advisory Committee, the Board of the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni, and the Board of the National Society of Compliance Professionals. Ms. Traeger is a member of the Texas and District of Columbia bars.

Richard Walz General Counsel Element Capital Management LLC

Mr. Walz joined Element Capital in October 2011.  His responsibilities include managing all legal, compliance and regulatory matters for Element Capital.  From October 2011 through February 2021, Mr. Walz was also Chief Compliance Officer of Element Capital.  Prior to joining Element Capital, Mr. Walz was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Moon Capital Management LP, since May 2007.  Prior to May 2007, Mr. Walz practiced law at Bingham McCutchen LLP, Bryan Cave LLP and Emmet, Marvin and Martin LLP.   Mr. Walz holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School and a B.A. in Sociology from St. Joseph’s College.  He was admitted to practice law in New York in 1998 and Connecticut in 1997.

2:00pm

Cryptocurrency: The Future of Money

Keynote:

Hon. J. Christopher Giancarlo Senior Counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Fmr Chm., US CFTC, Author: “CryptoDad–The Fight for the Future of Money"

2:30pm

Break

2:45pm

Panel

The Manager Perspective on Forthcoming Regulatory and Compliance Changes

Panelists:

Justin Griffith Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and Partner, Cadian Capital Management

Currently, Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Partner at Cadian Capital Management.

Previously, from 2008 – 20111, worked at BlueCrest Capital Management, where he was Principal, Member of the Operating Committee, and in charge of U.S. Legal and Compliance.

Prior to that, was an Associate at Sidley Austin (Chicago), Covington & Burling (NY) and David Polk & Wardwell (NY).

Cornell Law School, JD, 2000 (Magna cum laude and Order of the Coif)

Williams College, BA, 1995

Isaac Haas General Counsel HBK Capital Management

Isaac Haas has been associated with HBK since 2015 and serves as HBK’s General Counsel, with primary responsibility for managing the firm’s legal function. Prior to joining HBK, Isaac was an attorney at Haynes and Boone, LLP, where he advised investment funds and operating companies on corporate and securities matters. He began his legal career as an associate at Jones Day. Isaac received a B.B.A. degree in Finance and Risk Management & Insurance in 2004 from Baylor University. He received a J.D. degree magna cum laude in 2011 from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he was a Sumners Scholar and served on the editorial board of the SMU Law Review Association.

Brendan R. Kalb Global General Counsel ExodusPoint Capital Management

Brendan Kalb is the General Counsel of ExodusPoint Capital Management, LP. Prior to joining ExodusPoint, Brendan was a partner in the Investment Management Group at Morgan Lewis in New York. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Brendan was the General Counsel at AQR Capital Management, LLC, a quantitative registered investment adviser based in Greenwich, CT, where he was responsible for managing the full spectrum of the firm’s legal affairs. Prior to joining AQR, Brendan worked as an associate at the law firms of Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Seward & Kissel. Brendan received his JD from Cornell Law School and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in International Relations & Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Brendan has served as a member of the Board of the Directors of the National Futures Association and as a member of the Managed Funds Association’s Investment Adviser and Government Affairs Committees, and as Chairman of the MFA’s CTA, CPO and Futures Committee. Brendan also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Institute for Law and Economics, a joint research center between the Law School, the Wharton School and the Department of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania

Mark Schein Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Madison International Realty

2023-Present     General Counsel and COO of Madison International Realty

2020-2023            CCO of Varde Partners

2004-2020            CCO of York Capital Management

2004                       Director of Anti-Money Laundering for Schwab Capital Markets

2001-2004            Chief Compliance Officer for UST Securities (Broker Dealer arm of US Trust Company)

1997-2001            Senior Trial Counsel for the NYSE Enforcement Division

1991-1997            Assistant District Attorney Bronx DA’s Office (Prosecuted Organized Crime and Police Corruption)

JD from Vanderbilt University Law School

BA from Williams College

Kimberly Summe Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Sequoia Capital Global Equities

Kimberly Summe serves as the Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer of Sequoia Capital Global Equities, a multi-billion technology-focused hedge fund affiliated with Sequoia Capital, a venture capital firm established in 1972 in Menlo Park, California.  Previously, Kimberly was the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Partner Fund Management, L.P. and Stillwater Investment Management, L.P.  She has served as a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers and General Counsel at the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. Kimberly started her career as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Kimberly received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science in International Relations from The London School of Economics, a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Arts from The University of Cambridge, and a Juris Doctorate from The University of Chicago. She has published over twenty articles on a variety of corporate law topics, including bankruptcy, derivatives, and insider trading laws.  She also is a Lecturer in Law at the Stanford Law School and is a member of the Hoover Institute’s working group on bankruptcy reform.

Kimberly previously served for four years on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Managed Funds Association. She is on the Investment Committee of the Oklahoma State University Foundation, a Board member of the Oklahoma State University Multilateral Endowment Management Company, a member of the Board of Trustees for Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton and its Investment Committee, and Chairman of the Edgewood Center for Children and Families, a 172 year-old charity based in San Francisco, California.

Moderated By:

Christine M. Lombardo Partner and Co-Leader, Financial Institutions Practice Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Co-leader of Morgan Lewis’s global financial institutions practice, Christine Lombardo advises investment managers and broker-dealers on financial regulatory matters. She concentrates her practice on securities regulation for a broad range of financial firms including retail asset managers, private fund managers, family offices, broker-dealers, other professional traders, and high-net-worth individuals. Christine also counsels legal, compliance, and business personnel on the structure, operation, and distribution of advisory programs, including digital advisory offerings, and investment products, including hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, and other alternative investment products. Christine also counsels financial firms through examinations by industry regulators, as well as on enforcement related matters. She also serves as a co-leader of the firm’s financial technology (fintech) industry team. Before joining Morgan Lewis, she was an associate at an international law firm in New York and worked for the Division of Enforcement at FINRA.

3:30pm

Panel

Mitigating Hidden Risks in Legacy Operations: Leveraging Technology to Identify and Address Risk

4:00pm

Keynote: ESG and the Future Trajectory of Climate Regulation

Co-Keynote:

Brian D. Israel Partner, Arnold & Porter

Brian Israel is Chair of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group, as well as co-leading the firm’s Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) working group. Mr. Israel’s practice focuses broadly on environmental litigation and counseling—including climate-related issues—and he is one of the nation’s leading lawyers for Natural Resource Damages (NRD) claims. Over the course of his career, Mr. Israel has successfully resolved or litigated over one hundred environmental matters. Among other areas, Mr. Israel specializes in cases brought under federal and state environmental laws related to contaminated sites, including toxic tort lawsuits. Since 2010, Mr. Israel has been lead counsel to BP in relation to Deepwater Horizon NRD claims, and was also one of the trial attorneys at the Deepwater Horizon Clean Water Act (CWA) penalty trial. Mr. Israel represents multiple Fortune 500 companies in some of the largest and most complex environmental matters across the country.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Israel was an Honors Trial Attorney in the Environmental Enforcement Section of the US Department of Justice (DOJ). While at the DOJ, he handled several high-profile cases, including the largest NRD trial at the time. Additionally, Mr. Israel was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for his accomplishments in a Clean Air Act jury trial during his time at the DOJ. He also litigated claims on behalf of the US Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Clean Water Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Mr. Israel has spoken and written extensively about environmental law issues. He is a principal author of “Natural Resource Damages: A Guide to Litigating and Resolving NRD Cases,” (ABA, 2019). For the last 15 years, Mr. Israel has maintained and regularly updated the State-by-State Guide to NRD Programs in All 50 States and Puerto Rico. Mr. Israel hosts and chairs the annual Advanced Conference on Litigating Natural Resource Damages (sponsored by Law Seminars International). He is the author of the “Natural Resource Damages” chapter in the Environmental Law Practice Guide (Gerrard, ed.). Mr. Israel has published on many other environmental law topics including environmental enforcement, corporate liability, regulatory reform, trial strategy, and Superfund. Mr. Israel’s student note, “An Environmental Justice Critique of Risk Assessment,” is published in the NYU Environmental Law Journal.

9:00am

Breakouts

Data Security, Privacy and Management

Panelists:

Michael Barry General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer Samlyn Capital, LLC

Michael is the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Samlyn Capital, LLC where he is responsible for all legal and compliance operations of a global equity hedge fund management firm. Prior to joining Samlyn Capital in 2009, Michael was a partner at Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. in New York City from 2006 through 2009, and a corporate associate from 2000. Prior thereto, he was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP in New York City. Michael began his career as an associate at Whitman, Breed, Abbott & Morgan in New York City.

 

Speakers TBA

Co-Investments & Fund Structuring

Panelists:

Robert McGrail Head of Legal and Compliance, DUMAC, Inc
Peyton McNutt Principal and General Counsel, Taconic Capital Advisors LP
Andrew Nathanson General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer Suvretta Capital Management, LLC

Andrew Nathanson is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Suvretta Capital Management, LLC.  Prior to joining Suvretta Capital, Mr. Nathanson served as Legal Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer for Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA).  Mr. Nathanson earned his BS in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

Angela G. Vogeli Senior Associate General Counsel, Vanderbilt University, Office of General Counsel

“With over 13 years of experience in-house at institutional investors, Angela has had a frontline view of evolving documentation, structuring, regulatory and asset allocation trends. She is currently Senior Associate Counsel at Vanderbilt University. Since 2014, she has been the primary attorney supporting the ~$10 billion endowment. Angela also advises the university’s public/private debt issuances, securitizations and P3 initiatives. Previously, Angela worked at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas as the public pension plan emerged from the great recession and built a sweeping and sophisticated investment program.

Before entering the non-profit institutional investor world, Angela was in-house at Citigroup and in private practice at Sidley (both in New York City). She earned a BS from Texas A&M University and a JD from the Washington College of Law, American University. “

Cyber: Threats, Fraud, Cloud Computing

Panelists:

David Angstreich Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Palestra Capital Management LLC
Michael Sohn Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Michael Sohn is currently an embedded FBI Cyber Division liaison to the National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance (NCFTA) in Los Angeles (NCFTA is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, focused on identifying, mitigating, and neutralizing cybercrime threats globally).  His cyber investigative experience includes cyber terrorism, nation-state and criminal cyber intrusion matters.  Prior to his employment with the FBI, he worked as a Counterintelligence Officer for the Department of the Army, a Counter Terrorism officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency, a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and a U.S. Army Officer.  Mr. Sohn received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the United States Military Academy, West Point and a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems from Boston University, Boston.

Speaker TBA

Moderated By:

Bryant Morse Americas Head of Business Consulting Services, UBS Securities LLC

Bryant Morse is currently the Americas Head of Business Consulting Services at UBS where he coordinates the delivery of Consulting services to clients of the investment bank at all stages of their business lifecycle.  Most recently, Bryant was Chief Technology Officer at Kingdon Capital where as a member of the Operating Committee, he was responsible for the firm’s Digital Transformation and Technology vision with oversight of Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Data and Application Development. Previously, Bryant was Chief Information Officer for two separate start up hedge funds, Nexus Asset Management (Global Energy/Utilities) and Tourmalet Advisors (Global L/S Equity & Distressed Mortgages). He also spent nine years as Senior Vice President at Pequot Capital(Global Multi-Strat), where he was the Head of Data Management.

Ambient Learning, Employee Retention, New Adaptations

Panelists:

Christopher Lutton Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Honte Investments

Christopher Lutton is Co-Founder, CEO and CCO of HonTe Advisors, LLC. Chris has been involved in global markets for over 25 years. After several years as an analyst in Asia, Chris joined Goldman Sachs’ FICC team in 1999; marketing currencies, interest rates and emerging markets from the firm’s trading desks in New York and Tokyo. From 2005 to 2015, Chris was responsible for building out three regional FX marketing platforms at BAML, DB and Nomura that focused on global macro and multi-strat hedge funds. Since 2015, Chris has been responsible for HonTe’s non-investment operations focused on building out the firm’s infrastructure according to the industry’s best practices. Chris was born in Japan and raised in the Bay Area and Chicago. He earned his undergraduate degree in Japanese and Economics from Bucknell University and received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Serge Todorovich General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer Shenkman Capital Management

Serge Todorovich is Principal, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Shenkman Capital Management, Inc., a traditional and alternative credit manager based in New York with offices in Stamford, Boca Raton and London. Previously, he was General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer of Prosiris Capital Management LP and Associate General Counsel at Eton Park Capital Management, L.P. Prior to joining Eton Park, Mr. Todorovich was Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he provided legal counsel to the sales and trading desks in the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Division. He joined Goldman Sachs from Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he was an Associate in the Asset Management Group in New York. He has been an active member of industry associations and working groups focused on investment management, credit investing, derivatives, and financial regulation. Mr. Todorovich received his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, a Master of Arts in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University.

9:50am

Breakout Transition

10:00am

Breakouts

Vendors: Implementation, Diligence and Data Sharing

Panelists:

Megan McDougall  Senior Investment Operations Analyst, Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc.

Megan McDougall is a Senior Investment Operations Analyst at the Georgia Tech Foundation.  In this role, she is responsible for managing portfolio operations, operational due diligence, and reporting.  Prior to joining the Foundation in 2018, Megan worked as an Investment Compliance Analyst at the UPS Group Trust, where she focused on operational due diligence and internal audit.  She holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Mississippi and is currently an MBA candidate at Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business.

Steve H. Metzger, Esq. Managing Director, Deputy General Counsel & Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, Two Sigma Investments, LP
Erin Mullen General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer Woodline Partners

Erin Mullen is the Chief Compliance Officer for Woodline Partners, LP. Previously, Erin worked at Citadel supporting the Fundamental Equities businesses and Citadel’s alternative data initiative. Prior to joining Citadel, she worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a number different of legal and compliance roles. Erin began her career working at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Chadbourne & Parke. Erin attended the Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Minnesota.

Stephanie Miranda Pries, JD Director of Investment Legal & Compliance, University of Notre Dame Investment Office
Mark A. Russo General Counsel ZAIS Group, LLC

Mr. Russo serves as General Counsel and a Managing Director at ZAIS Group, LLC. Mr. Russo was appointed General Counsel in April 2017. Before joining ZAIS in February of 2007, Mr. Russo was an attorney at Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP in the Structured Finance Practice Group from 2004 to 2007. He received a B.S. with distinction from The Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.

Moderated By:

Kate Chatzopoulos Head of Operations Workflows, Symphony

Kate Chatzopoulos is a senior client and product lifecycle enablement leader dedicated to client development within the Capital Markets sector. Kate has spent her career in Front Office and Operations at leading financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and Blackrock. She is currently the Head of Operations Workflow at Symphony Communications, where she spearheads product innovation for Client and Transaction Lifecycle Management. She is known for her seamless ability to deliver on business and operational needs.

Kate is also a certified coach and mentor committed to supporting professionals in their career growth to see their value, find their voices, and realize a greater vision for their potential. Her vision for her own and others’ personal and career development is focused on being present, self-aware, and having gratitude, which drives her on a daily basis.

Kate’s dedication to nonprofit causes around youth began when she and friends founded the George C Fund, which was created in honor of her late brother. As a way to honor his legacy, the George C Fund focused on enabling young adults’ growth through action sports, via supporting Stoked.Org and other youth organizations. When she’s not traveling or exploring New York City, she spends her time with her family, learning about alchemy, and planning a bright future for all humans.

Digital Assets Investing: Ops, ODD and Compliance Considerations

Panelists:

Steven D'Mello Partner, Albourne Partners

Steve joined Albourne Partners (Canada) Ltd as an Operational Due Diligence Analyst in 2014 to focus on the credit and fixed income sector before expanding into private markets ODD. Steven has played an important role in developing Albourne’s outlook on operational risk pertaining to digital assets and cryptocurrency sector. Steven joined Albourne from RBC Capital Markets where he worked in Corporate Treasury and Product Control and previously worked for Citco Fund Services in pricing and fund accounting. Steven holds a Bachelor of Administrative and Commercial Studies degree from Western University and has earned both the CFA and FRM designations.

Speaker TBA

Moderated By:

Greg Clay Senior Vice President, Relationship Management, Northern Trust Hedge Fund Services, LLC

Greg manages Northern Trust Hedge Fund Services Relationship Management team in Chicago and Minnesota covering a broad array of alternative investment strategies. He joined Northern Trust as part of the 2011 acquisition of Omnium LLC and has 15 years of experience in financial operations and client servicing roles.

 

Greg began his career in operations as a securitization analyst at Bank of America (formerly LaSalle Bank) servicing Collateralized Debt Obligations.  He later held roles in hedge fund administration for Bank of America leading Transaction Services.

 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from DePauw University and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designee.

The ESG Update: Case Studies

Panelists:

Andrew Collins Director of ESG Investing, San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS)

Andrew Collins joined the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS) as Director of ESG Investing in 2018. In this role, he leads responsible investing and corporate governance activities across the $30+ billion Plan. He joined SFERS from State Street Global Advisors where he was an ESG Investment Strategist. Prior to that he was Technical Director of Standards Setting at the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) where he was the lead author and key architect of SASB’s 77 industry standards. He has also held roles in environmental auditing and consulting, and he began his career as a corporate sustainability manager for the Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra. Andrew holds a BS from Yale University and is a Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) credential holder.

David Hohmann Director of Administration and Risk, Tufts University
Vaidheesh Krishnamurti Chief Operating Officer, General Electric Pension Trust
Speaker TBA, Debevoise

Legal, Compliance and ODD in Hybrid Strategies

Panelists:

Sarah Curran Director of Enterprise Risk and CCO, Private Investments, Wellington Management Company

“Sarah is the head of Enterprise Risk and Chief Compliance Officer for Wellington Management’s Private Investments business. She leads a team that is responsible for the design and management of the private investments compliance program and for providing ongoing regulatory compliance advice and support to the privates investment platform, product and infrastructure teams. She also oversees resources dedicated to assessing and mitigating operational risk for private investments.

Prior to joining the firm in 2021, Sarah co-led the private funds regulatory compliance consulting practice at Promontory Financial Group (2019 – 2021). Prior to that, Sarah worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Examinations in various roles, most recently as a manager in the Private Funds Unit (2005 – 2019). Sarah started her career as a sell-side fixed income sales trader (2003 – 2005).

Sarah earned her BA in International Economics from Fordham University (2003).”

Hannah Dunn Partner and General Counsel Farallon Capital Management LLC

Ms. Dunn joined Farallon in 2007. Prior to joining Farallon, Ms. Dunn served as an associate in Sidley Austin LLP’s investment funds, advisers and derivatives practice group. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law with a J.D. and the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in History and Anthropology. She is a co-author of the first edition of the book U.S. Regulation of Hedge Funds

Speaker TBA

10:50am

Panel

What’s Next on the Regulatory and Enforcement Agenda

Panelists:

Michele Wein Layne Director, Los Angeles Regional Office, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Michele Wein Layne is the Regional Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Los Angeles Regional Office. The Regional Office has a staff of over 180 people and is responsible for the SEC’s enforcement and examination programs in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam with more than 1000 investment advisers, more than 60 mutual fund complexes and nearly 300 broker-dealers located in the region. Prior to her appointment as Director of the Regional Office in 2012, Ms. Layne served as the Associate Regional Director of the Los Angeles Regional Office’s enforcement program. She has conducted and supervised investigations and litigation involving financial reporting fraud, insider trading, misconduct by investment advisers and brokers, market manipulation, FCPA and other securities law violations. Ms. Layne received the SEC’s 2009 Distinguished Service Award, the agency’s highest honorary award.

Before joining the SEC staff, Ms. Layne worked as a litigator in private practice. She received her law degree from the University of Southern California and her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Regina G. Thoele, CFE Senior Vice President, Compliance, National Futures Association

“Regina G. Thoele is Senior Vice President of Compliance at National Futures Association (NFA). Her current responsibilities include overseeing the Compliance Department’s exam, investigation, financial surveillance, and risk management programs; working on enforcement cases; advising Members on compliance issues; assisting NFA Member committees; participating in industry conferences; and developing and monitoring Compliance Department goals. In addition, Ms. Thoele works with NFA’s Legal Department to develop rules and interpretive guidance, makes presentations to NFA’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors and to other outside organizations, and develops strategic plans and initiatives for NFA’s Compliance Department. From July 1994 until March 1998, Ms. Thoele held the position of Arbitration Manager and was responsible for supervising staff and helping manage the Arbitration program. Ms. Thoele has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she taught a compliance course.

Ms. Thoele attended Indiana University and received a B.S. degree in finance. Ms. Thoele also received her designation as a Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional through the NASD Institute at The Wharton School, as well as her designation as a Certified Fraud Examiner through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “

Cameron Schroeder Chief, Cyber & Intellectual Property Crimes Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California 
Michael Sohn Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Michael Sohn is currently an embedded FBI Cyber Division liaison to the National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance (NCFTA) in Los Angeles (NCFTA is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, focused on identifying, mitigating, and neutralizing cybercrime threats globally).  His cyber investigative experience includes cyber terrorism, nation-state and criminal cyber intrusion matters.  Prior to his employment with the FBI, he worked as a Counterintelligence Officer for the Department of the Army, a Counter Terrorism officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency, a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and a U.S. Army Officer.  Mr. Sohn received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the United States Military Academy, West Point and a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems from Boston University, Boston.

Moderated By:

Brian Daly Partner Akin

Brian advises fund managers on regulatory, compliance and operational matters. He has extensive experience helping clients navigate their regulatory compliance obligations under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA). Brian also regularly represents clients in regulatory examinations, enforcement actions, trading inquiries and in seeking no-action or similar relief. Having spent nearly a decade in-house as general counsel and chief compliance officer at several global investment management firms, Brian is well versed in the wide range of legal and business challenges facing investment advisers, commodity pool operators and commodity trading advisors.

Brian is a recognized leader in advising alternative investment fund managers on regulatory and compliance matters. Chambers Global and Chambers USA list Brian as a “leading individual” in investment funds. Brian is a member of the Managed Funds Association’s Outside Counsel Forum and its CTA/CPO Forum and of the Alternative Investment Management Association’s CFTC Working Group.

11:40am

Panel

A Look Ahead at Market Structure Changes

Panelists:

Speakers TBA

Moderated By:

Boris Liberman Partner and Co-Chair, Derivatives & Structured Products, Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Boris provides strategic advice to U.S. and international hedge funds, mutual funds, CITs, UCITS, managed accounts, superannuation plans, sovereign wealth funds, and other asset owners regarding all aspects of implementing their investment and trading strategy while remaining compliant with appropriate regulatory regimes. With years of experience advising funds and institutional investors on the trading of securities, commodities, derivatives, and other asset classes, Boris is also proficient in a multitude of agreements with varying complexity required by market participants in order to invest in and trade such assets, including the retention and onboarding of prime brokerages and other counterparties to facilitate and coordinate complex funding instruments like derivatives.
Deeply knowledgeable about the wide range of both U.S. and non-U.S. laws and regulations that impact the trade of assets, Boris helps investors optimize, and think more strategically about, their trading strategy, treasury function, financing costs, and counterparty risk management. He also helps to implement these strategies through the creation of trading compliance manuals and effective best practices.
From his years of leading a team at a global investment management firm, as well as in private practice representing funds and private equity clients, Boris has developed a unique set of skills and acquired wide-ranging experience in dealing with all aspects of investment strategy implementation, encompassing all types of activity and structures.
He has specialized knowledge of relevant rules and regulations impacting trading documentation globally, including in key emerging markets such as China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, and Russia. Boris provides counsel to investment managers and asset owners who wish to access these markets across various investment instruments. He helps asset owners optimize their due diligence process in evaluating investment managers, and he provides strategic advice as to how asset owners should think about investment managers and dealers, as well as various trading instruments.
As an active member of various buy-side industry groups, Boris has been involved in conversations dealing with most key regulatory developments impacting investment strategy implementation worldwide. Over the course of the last 12 years, he has negotiated thousands of agreements, spanning all asset classes including:

  • Complex committed financing arrangements for hedge funds and managed accounts
  • ISDA agreements
  • Global master swaps confirmation agreements
  • Futures agreements
  • OTC clearing agreements
  • Tri-party custody agreements
  • Enhanced custody agreements
  • Give-up agreements
  • TBA agreements
  • Repurchase agreements
  • Main custody agreements
  • Unique guarantee arrangements

Before joining the firm, Boris served as Senior Counsel at AQR Capital Management LLC, where he counseled members of the investor, trading, research, compliance, portfolio implementation, and business development teams.
Earlier in his career, Boris represented private equity firms and hedge funds at the global law firms of Linklaters LP and Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

He is fluent in Russian.

Education

  • New York Law School (J.D. 2005), cum laude
  • Yeshiva University (B.S. 1997), cum laude

Bar Admissions

  • New York

12:30pm

Lunch

2:00pm

Conference Concludes