Mayer Brown has expanded its Capital Markets practice with the addition of Danielle Abada as a partner in the firm’s New York office. Abada joins from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where she served as Senior Special Counsel in the Market Participants Division and previously as Senior Counsel to CFTC Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson.
During her time at the CFTC, Abada advised on complex legal, regulatory, and policy matters affecting entities regulated by the commission. Her work also supported CFTC priorities related to regulatory and market developments involving crypto assets and blockchain technologies, prediction markets and event contracts, and artificial intelligence.
Before entering government service, Abada worked in private practice representing financial institutions and fintech companies across regulatory, compliance, transactional, and legislative matters. Her experience included advising clients on emerging technologies such as distributed ledgers, digital assets, and AI.
Abada has represented a range of financial market participants, including banks, swap dealers, broker-dealers, exchanges, asset and investment managers, hedge funds, and proprietary trading firms. Her work has covered banking, derivatives, securities regulation, and related transactional issues.
At Mayer Brown, Abada will work alongside lawyers in the firm’s Derivatives & Structured Products and Fintech practices, strengthening its capabilities as financial institutions and technology companies navigate changing rules for derivatives, digital assets, and emerging financial technologies.
Her arrival also adds recent regulatory experience to a practice that works with clients operating at the intersection of traditional financial markets and rapidly developing technologies. Mayer Brown said its derivatives and structured products practices have received recognition from Chambers USA, IFLR1000, and The Legal 500 US, while its Fintech practice has also been recognized by The Legal 500 US and Chambers FinTech.
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“We’re pleased to welcome Danielle to our firm. Her experience at the CFTC will benefit clients as they navigate a rapidly evolving derivatives and digital assets regulatory environment that has seen significant innovation and market growth.”
Jon Van Gorp, Chair Of Mayer Brown
