November 1, 2023
New York, NY, November 1, 2023 -- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that Matthew Comstock has joined the Firm as a partner in the Asset Management Department. He is based in the Firm’s Washington, DC office and is part of the Regulatory and Enforcement and Willkie Digital Works practices. With over two decades of experience at the SEC and in private practice, Matt has a diverse practice spanning the legal and regulatory aspects of broker-dealer, securities trading and markets businesses, including digital asset regulation. Earlier in his career, he was an associate at Willkie.
“Matt is a well-regarded go-to advisor for broker-dealers and investment advisers on complex regulatory matters, including blockchain-related regulation,” said James Anderson, a partner in Willkie’s Asset Management Department and Chair of the Regulatory and Enforcement practice. “We are delighted to welcome him back to Willkie.”
Matt advises trading platforms, broker-dealers, clearing agencies, private funds and other clients on a range of compliance, regulatory and transactional matters. He has substantial experience in broker-dealer financial responsibility and liquidations, securities credit regulation, compliance with self-regulatory organization rules, short selling, regulations governing market manipulation, securities lending, soft dollars, prime brokerage, and market structure. He regularly assists clients in the creation of trading platforms, custody and trading of alternative investments and digital assets, and navigating the regulatory requirements facing broker-dealers. He has a particular focus on regulation of digital assets issued on the blockchain, and has advised on the creation of a digital markets trading platform and establishment of cryptocurrency trading desks.
Matt commented: “Willkie’s market-leading asset management practice and prominent role at the forefront of the evolving digital asset space present an ideal platform for my practice. I’m excited to rejoin the talented team at Willkie, adding to its deep regulatory capabilities across the asset management industry, including on emerging blockchain regulation.”
Matt was most recently a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and before that, a shareholder at McGonigle, P.C., before the firms combined. Earlier in his career, he served in the SEC's Division of Trading and Markets where he held the positions of branch chief, special counsel and staff attorney in the Office of Financial Responsibility.
Matt’s addition follows several significant lateral partner hires in 2023 to Willkie’s Washington, DC office, including broker-dealer regulatory attorney Brian Baltz, antitrust litigator Katrina Robson and investigation and compliance leaders Timothy Heaphy and Soumya Dayananda.
Willkie’s preeminent Asset Management Department leverages comprehensive subject matter experience and capabilities across all asset classes to advise virtually all types of participants in the asset management industry, including privately owned sponsors and investment managers, publicly-traded asset management firms, broker-dealers, insurance companies, wealth management platforms, and banks, among others. With more than 110 attorneys across seven offices in the U.S. and Europe, our Asset Management team advises on the full spectrum of investment management matters, including regulated and private fund formations, investments, restructurings, fund financings, asset management M&A, secondaries transactions, liquidity and capital solutions, fund “adoptions,” and operational, compliance and regulatory issues. The group’s 250+ clients include some of the world’s most prominent asset management firms.
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Our approximately 1,200 attorneys across 13 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at www.willkie.com.
