Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Legal Awards
Bar Admissions
Legal Experience
Certification
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic

JonMarc Buffa

Vienna

Summary

Accomplished legal advisor specializing in derivatives and commodities law, with extensive experience at U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Demonstrated success in interagency collaboration and complex litigation, providing strategic insights and expert legal counsel. Experienced public speaker and adjunct professor at Georgetown Law, focused on fostering innovation and stakeholder engagement.

Overview

26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Counsel to the Director of Enforcement for Cooperative Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2024 - Current
  • I provide expert legal and policy advice to the Director of Enforcement.
  • I lead the Office of Cooperative Enforcement where I am the Enforcement Division’s point person to the CFTC’s civil and criminal partners at the federal and state level, as well as with the National Futures Association and FINRA.
  • I provide substantive advice to state and federal officials on federal derivatives laws and interagency cooperation and coordination.
  • I advise on all aspects of anti-fraud, consumer protection, anti-manipulation, and anti-spoofing enforcement actions.
  • I am a subject matter expert on derivatives, commodities, digital assets, banking, and securities law. I work on the front lines of the most pressing issues at the CFTC. My depth of knowledge positions me to provide expert legal and policy advice on the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
  • I am a speaker and lecturer at numerous public and government conferences and events on federal derivatives laws.
  • I provide training to our federal and state partners.
  • I supervise the FBI Detailee program.
  • I have extensive expertise in advising CFTC litigators on parallel proceedings rules and federal criminal laws, such as money laundering, mail and wire fraud, and other white-collar criminal statutes, as well as complex law enforcement techniques and practices.
  • I am the representative to over 30 national and regional Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Groups and other federal and state taskforces.

Adjunct Professor of Law; JD and LLM programs

Georgetown University Law Center
01.2011 - Current
  • Financial Market Reform and Innovation, 2021 to present: This course examines the ever-evolving regulation of financial markets, institutions, and innovative financial products.
  • Implementation of Financial Market Reform Legislation, 2013 to 2021: This course covers all significant aspects of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
  • Complex Derivative Transactions: Structure and Usage, 2011 and 2013: This course provides a comprehensive overview of complex derivative transactions utilized in the global financial marketplace.

Assistant Chief, Office of Cooperative Enforcement, Division of Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2020 - 01.2024
  • Served as primary liaison for Enforcement Division with CFTC, federal and state partners, National Futures Association, and FINRA.
  • Provided expert guidance on federal derivatives laws to state and federal officials.
  • Advised on anti-fraud, consumer protection, anti-manipulation, and anti-spoofing enforcement actions.
  • I am a speaker and lecturer at numerous public and government conferences and events on federal derivatives laws.
  • I provide training to our federal and state partners.

Senior Counsel to Commissioner Summer K. Mersinger

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2022 - 01.2023
  • Senior Counsel to Commissioner Mersinger where I detailed for her Chief of Staff while he was on paternity leave.
  • I provided expert legal and policy advice on Commission initiatives, rulemakings, enforcement seriatim, and all aspects of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC Regulations.
  • I am a subject matter expert on derivatives, commodities, and digital assets.
  • As her senior advisor, I formulated and drafted formal policy statements, dissents, concurrences, and external press releases.
  • I regularly interfaced with senior CFTC leaders, Commissioners and their counsel, market participants, industry professionals, media, and senior Congressional staff.
  • I drafted speeches, talking points, and hearing statements.
  • I represented the Commissioner at events, conferences, meetings, and other policy forums.

Senior Trial Attorney, Division of Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2010 - 01.2015
  • Led anti-fraud enforcement litigations and investigations, managing all related activities.
  • Represented agency in Federal Court hearings, drafting affirmative and responsive pleadings.
  • Conducted depositions, witness testimony, and comprehensive discovery processes.
  • Drafted affirmative and responsive pleadings, and motions practice.
  • Lead counsel on numerous enforcement matters, including the $7 billion fraud case, CFTC v. Walsh (WG Trading) et al. and the CFTC's most significant precious metals fraud case CFTC et al. v. TMTE (Metals.com) et al. with 30 State Securities Regulators.

Special Counsel and Policy Advisor to Commissioner Scott D. O’Malia

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2011 - 01.2012
  • Legal and policy advisor to Commissioner O’Malia; advise the Commissioner on all aspects of the rulemaking under Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (“Dodd-Frank”);
  • Interface with market participants, industry professionals, media, and Congressional staff;
  • Speaker and lecturer at numerous public and government conferences/events on federal derivatives laws;
  • Prepared Commissioner for hearings and conferences.

Trial Attorney, Division of Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2008 - 01.2010
  • Similar responsibilities to tenure as Senior Trial Attorney.

Associate

Dentons (formerly Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal)
01.2006 - 01.2008
  • Complex civil litigation associate with first-line management responsibility for all aspects of complex civil litigation; white collar criminal litigation; multi-district litigation; internal investigations; products liability; alternate dispute resolution; appellate work; and government investigations.
  • I have front-line responsibility for managing all aspects of multiple litigations as part of National Trial Counsel in multi-district litigation, class action, and Qui Tam actions.
  • I have also supervised junior associates, staff, and local counsel.
  • Drafted affirmative and responsive pleadings and motions; conducted all aspects of written discovery; managed large corporate document productions of electronic and hardcopy documents; expert witness preparation, employee interviews, motions practice, subpoena responses, and trial work.
  • Took or defended over 40 depositions.
  • Lead pro bono counsel to military veterans before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
  • Served on the Associate's Committee, Best Places To Work Committee, and supervised the 2007 DC Summer Associate Mock Trial team.

Associate

Spriggs & Hollingsworth
01.2003 - 01.2006
  • Front-line responsibility for managing all aspects of pharmaceutical product liability cases as part of National Trial Counsel for major drug manufacturers in multi-district litigation: supervised local counsel; participated in challenges to multi-district litigation and class action certification.
  • Drafted affirmative and responsive pleadings and motions; conducted all aspects of written discovery.
  • Conducted over 30 depositions of lay, plaintiff, and medical/scientific witnesses.
  • Assisted with large corporate document productions, including issues related to computerized document databases; worked on the firm’s Pro Bono matters and was co-chair of the firm’s school partnership program with a local middle school.

Associate

Arter & Hadden
01.2001 - 01.2003
  • Litigator who took and defended depositions, wrote and argued motions, jury instructions, ex parte applications, summary adjudications, office memoranda, legal research, drafted points and authorities, and other legal work.
  • Directed Summer Associate Events (summer 2002). Practice areas included Commercial Litigation, Telecommunication Law, Energy Law, Entertainment, Breach of Contract, Class Actions, Asbestos, Employment Law, Government Affairs, Entertainment Law, and Products Liability.

Legal Externship

St. Joseph County Public Defender's Office
01.2001 - 04.2001
  • Advised indigent Defendants; appeared on behalf of clients in state court hearings and arraignments; negotiated and drafted plea agreements; prepared clients for trial; conducted client meetings.

Legal Intern

United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey
01.1999 - 08.1999
  • Prepared deposition and trial materials that included trial exhibits, jury booklets, jury instructions, habeas corpus petitions (Section 2255), extradition orders, and plea agreements for cases pertaining to employment discrimination, FTCA, landlord liability, and civil assault.
  • Assisted Assistant U.S. Attorneys at hearings in Federal District Court in Trenton, NJ.
  • Worked in Civil, Criminal, and Frauds Division rotations.

Education

Juris Doctor -

Notre Dame Law School
05.2001

Bachelor of Science - Finance & Marketing Double Major

Boston College, Carroll School of Management
05.1998

Skills

  • Interagency collaboration
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Subject matter expert on derivatives, commodities, digital assets, banking, and securities law
  • Long-time adjunct professor at Georgetown Law
  • Public speaking
  • Team leadership
  • Strategic planning
  • Digital assets
  • Legal compliance
  • Complex litigation
  • Stakeholder engagement and legal advisory
  • Settlement negotiation
  • Litigation
  • Fraud investigation
  • Training federal and state regulators, and law enforcement

Legal Awards

National Institute of Trial Advocacy (“NITA”) Advocate Designation Recipient

Bar Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • State of California
  • State of New Jersey
  • The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • US District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • US District Court for the Central District of California
  • Supreme Court of New Jersey
  • Supreme Court of California
  • District of Columbia
  • United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
  • District of Columbia Court of Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
  • US District Court for District of Columbia

Legal Experience

  • Counsel to the Director of Enforcement for Cooperative Enforcement, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/24, present
  • Senior Counsel to Commissioner Summer K. Mersinger, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/22, 04/30/23
  • Assistant Chief, Office of Cooperative Enforcement, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/20, 12/31/24
  • Senior Trial Attorney, Office of Cooperative Enforcement, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/15, 12/31/20
  • Senior Trial Attorney, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/10, 12/31/15
  • Special Counsel and Policy Advisor to Commissioner Scott D. O’Malia, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/11, 06/30/12
  • Trial Attorney, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 01/01/08, 12/31/10

Certification

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
  • The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • US District Court for the Central District of California
  • US District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • US District Court for District of Columbia
  • Supreme Court of New Jersey
  • Supreme Court of California
  • District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Accomplishments

  • National Institute of Trial Advocacy (“NITA”) Advocate Designation® Recipient

Timeline

Counsel to the Director of Enforcement for Cooperative Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2024 - Current

Senior Counsel to Commissioner Summer K. Mersinger

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2022 - 01.2023

Assistant Chief, Office of Cooperative Enforcement, Division of Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2020 - 01.2024

Adjunct Professor of Law; JD and LLM programs

Georgetown University Law Center
01.2011 - Current

Special Counsel and Policy Advisor to Commissioner Scott D. O’Malia

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2011 - 01.2012

Senior Trial Attorney, Division of Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2010 - 01.2015

Trial Attorney, Division of Enforcement

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
01.2008 - 01.2010

Associate

Dentons (formerly Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal)
01.2006 - 01.2008

Associate

Spriggs & Hollingsworth
01.2003 - 01.2006

Associate

Arter & Hadden
01.2001 - 01.2003

Legal Externship

St. Joseph County Public Defender's Office
01.2001 - 04.2001

Legal Intern

United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey
01.1999 - 08.1999

Juris Doctor -

Notre Dame Law School

Bachelor of Science - Finance & Marketing Double Major

Boston College, Carroll School of Management

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JonMarc Buffa