Kulkin Joins WilmerHale to Lead Futures and Derivatives Practice

Former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) official Matthew Kulkin, has joned WilmerHale as a partner to leads its futures and derivatives practice.

He joins from rival law firm Steptoe & Johnson, where he worked for three years and co-chaired its financial services practice group. His clients included a wide range of financial services and corporate institutions, as well as blockchain and cryptocurrency companies. He advised clients on legislative, regulatory, compliance and enforcement matters.

WilmerHale says while CFTC-related matters have been a particular focus of his practice, Kulkin’s broad legal, policy, and regulatory knowledge has allowed him to help clients navigate other federal financial regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the US Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

From 2017 to 2019, Kulkin was director of the CFTC’s Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight. In this role, he led a broad range of CFTC activities, including rulemakings and enforcement matters regarding swap dealers, intermediaries, trading venues, and investment funds. During his time at the commission, Kulkin was also deeply involved in cases of first impression regarding cryptocurrencies and digital assets.

“Matt is a versatile and substantive leader in his field with an enviably strong track record of success in both private practice and government service in a highly technical area which will greatly benefit our clients,” says Robert Novick, co-managing partner of WilmerHale.

Kulkin adds, “I look forward to helping WilmerHale’s clients develop new technologies, products, and services and navigate a rapidly-changing regulatory environment.”