Christopher Giancarlo, senior counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Christopher Giancarlo, senior counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Am Law 200 firms continue to look to former government officials in their bid to stay ahead in the financial technology race, as evidenced by New York-based Willkie Farr & Gallagher's hiring of former chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Christopher Giancarlo, as senior counsel in its New York office.

The firm announced Giancarlo's hire late Monday. 

The market for expertise in cryptocurrency and fintech has continued to expand in Big Law. In 2019 alone, 26 lawyers with fintech experience have joined Am Law 200 firms. Meanwhile, firms such as Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Perkins Coie, Steptoe & Johnson LLP and Frost Brown Todd are now accepting bitcoin as payment. 

"I have spent three-and-a-half decades advising and building global businesses and regulatory frameworks in the junction of trading markets, technology and law," Giancarlo said in a statement. "Today, I am thrilled to join a firm that is a center of excellence in all three areas. I look forward to working with the firm's attorneys and clients in building the digital financial markets of tomorrow."

Giancarlo, who before his stint at the CFTC was a vice president at brokerage service GFI Group for over 13 years, left the commission in July, the end of his five-year term. 

"As a leading voice on the regulation of emerging technologies, Chris brings knowledge, experience and public and private sector relationships that will be invaluable to our clients in the financial services, technology and commodities sectors," Willkie Chairman Steven Gartner said in a statement. "His legal and corporate background, unparalleled knowledge of the global derivatives markets and their intersection with emerging technologies, combined with his longstanding relationships across the firm, make him a natural fit for Willkie."

Giancarlo, who was originally nominated for the chairman position at the CFTC by the Obama administration in 2014, was renewed by the Trump administration in 2017. Over the course of his time at the CFTC, Giancarlo was also a member of the "Financial Stability Oversight Committee (FSOC), the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, and the Executive Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, and he participated in meetings of the Financial Stability Board," Willkie said in its announcement.  

Other fintech and cryptocurrency moves this year included Vivian Maese, who Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft hired in New York. Mitchell Rabinowitz and Jenny Cieplak were hired by Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., from Crowell & Moring. Reed Smith hired Christine Trent Parker from Sullivan & Cromwell, Hunton Andrews Kurth brought on Austin lawyer Erin Fonté to co-lead its financial institutions corporate and regulatory practice, and Matthew Kluchenek joined Mayer Brown in Chicago from Baker McKenzie.

Giancarlo is also not the only former CFTC official to join Big Law this year. Former CFTC policy adviser Carl Kennedy joined Katten Muchin Rosenman in June, and Matthew Kulkin rejoined Steptoe in November after a two-year stint as director of the CFTC's Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight. 

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