Ryan Hayden

As a member of Steptoe's Government Affairs & Public Policy and the Financial Innovation & Regulation practices, Ryan Hayden advises financial institutions, commodity market participants, financial service providers, and recent market entrants on a range of regulatory and transactional matters, including legal and compliance requirements related to derivatives. He counsels clients on the Commodity Exchange Act and the Dodd-Frank Act, including Title VII and swaps and security-based swaps. Ryan frequently engages with US financial regulators in advocacy efforts on behalf of clients, ranging from registration and seeking relief to advising on enforcement matters. His Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) enforcement work has included trade reporting, documentation, recordkeeping, surveillance, compliance and supervisory programs, business conduct standards, manipulation, and other rule areas and requirements.

Clients rely on Ryan's comprehensive understanding of legal and regulatory issues and seek his practical, accessible legal advice borne from holding senior-level in-house legal and compliance positions and experience working across asset classes. Prior to joining Steptoe, Ryan worked as in-house counsel to two international commodity market participants and a global financial institution, also serving as Chief Compliance Officer to US and non-US CFTC registrants. While in-house, Ryan’s practice focused on derivatives, securities, and banking regulatory and transactional advice, often counseling new businesses and trading ventures and advising on compliant business structuring and strategy.

Ryan is a frequent speaker on financial regulatory matters at industry trade group events. Ryan also serves as Co-Chair of the Derivatives Subcommittee of the DC Bar Corporation, Finance, and Securities Law Community. He began his financial services career at the CFTC in Commissioner Bart Chilton's office and at the US Senate Banking Committee.