William E. Walsh
Partner
William represents clients in the financial sector in litigation and regulatory matters. He has particular experience in complex commercial litigation and class actions related to currency benchmarks and high-frequency trading; SEC, CFTC, and exchange investigations; FINRA and NFA arbitrations; and cryptocurrency offerings.
William spent four years at American global markets company CME Group Inc., the world's largest financial derivatives exchange. At CME Group, he prosecuted rule violations, conducted hearings before exchange disciplinary panels, and administered the exchange arbitration process. His experience there has prepared him to advise on the complex litigation, investigative and regulatory matters he now handles in private practice.
Previously, William practiced in the litigation department of a large international law firm and at McGonigle, P.C., before its combination with Davis Wright Tremaine. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Practice Highlights
Broad knowledge
William has experience with a broad range of financial products and asset classes. At CME Group, he was responsible for regulating trading in futures and options in agricultural products, currencies, energy, interest rates, metals, stock indexes, and cryptocurrencies.
Prosecutorial experience
As senior enforcement counsel in CME Group's Market Regulation Department, William investigated and prosecuted rule violations on CME Group Exchanges related to matters such as disruptive trading and messaging, spoofing, trading algorithms and system malfunctions, wash trades, position limit violations and non-competitive trading.
Cryptocurrency
William has written and advised on numerous issues surrounding cryptocurrencies and coin offerings, including their potential regulation as a security by the SEC.
Admitted to Practice
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Illinois, 2005
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California, Inactive, 2007
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District of Columbia, Inactive, 2008
Education
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J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2005
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B.A., University of Southern California, 2002
Memberships & Affiliations
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Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chicago Bar Association