U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commissioner Sharon Bowen yesterday announced her legal and policy staff. Today, Commissioner Bowen named Eric Juzenas Principal Adviser; Petal Walker Chief Counsel and Justin Slaughter Chief Policy Advisor and Special Counsel. These individuals will work with Commissioner Bowen to carry out the Commission’s efforts to implement the Dodd-Frank Act and ensure compliance with the Commission’s regulations.
“I am delighted Eric, Petal, and Justin have agreed to join me. They bring a strong suite of experience and will be invaluable as we work to address risks to the financial markets and protect both customers and investors,” said Commissioner Bowen. “We have made a lot of progress, but I want to make sure we get it right.”
Eric Juzenas, Principal Adviser
Eric Juzenas joins Commissioner Bowen’s staff having served previously in a variety of senior roles at the CFTC including Deputy Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs; Chief Operating Officer and Senior Counsel for former CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler; and Chief of Staff for former Acting Chairman Mike Dunn. In these positions, he played a key role in shaping and implementing the derivatives portions of the Dodd-Frank Act and overseeing the operations of the CFTC. Previously, Eric served as Deputy Chief Counsel for the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and Health Policy Analyst for the American Public Health Association. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and a Juris Doctor and Masters in Environmental/Occupational Public Health from the George Washington University.
Petal Walker, Chief Counsel
Prior to joining the Commission, Petal Walker worked as a Senior Associate at Wilmer Hale, aiding domestic and international clients – including swap execution facilities, designated contract markets, derivatives clearing organizations, foreign boards of trade, futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, swap dealers, commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, end-users and others – with compliance with Dodd-Frank regulation. Petal has also co-written several client guides and articles, including those published in the Futures and Derivatives Law Report, World Securities Law Report, and Journal of Investment Compliance, on issues such as extraterritoriality, foreign and domestic exchanges, mandatory clearing, end-user exception, segregation of funds, and the Volcker Rule. Before becoming an attorney, Petal had a successful career as a teacher and History Department Chairperson in an inner city school, winning several awards for instruction, including from The New York Times and the University of Chicago. Petal has also served as a Director on the Jumpstart DC Local Advisory Board, a non-profit that provides quality pre-school education to low-income students; and Co-Chair of the Derivatives, Securitization, and Project Finance Committee of the Corporation, Finance and Securities Section of the District of Columbia Bar Association. Petal holds degrees from Yale University (B.A.), Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ph.D.) and Harvard Law School (J.D.).
Justin Slaughter, Chief Policy Adviser and Special Counsel
Justin Slaughter comes to the CFTC from the staff of Massachusetts Senator Edward J. Markey, where he served as General Counsel. Justin advised Senator Markey on all legal and financial matters, including implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, CFTC funding and other financial agencies, international economic regulations, and oversight of the CFTC and SEC. Prior to working in the Senate, Justin served as Investigative Counsel on the Minority Staff of the House Natural Resources Committee under then-Ranking Member Edward J. Markey. While in the House, Justin investigated the influence of manipulation and excessive speculation in oil and natural gas commodities markets and drafted legislation Rep. Markey introduced on the subject. Before working in Congress, Justin worked as an Associate in the White-Collar and Securities Defense group of the Washington office of McDermott Will and Emery LLC, focusing his practice on securities and congressional investigations. Justin also previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jerome Farris on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Justin is a graduate of Yale Law School (J.D.) and Columbia University (B.A.).
For the full announcement from the CFTC, click here.