Yvette D. Valdez

Partner

New York
yvette.valdez@lw.com
+1.212.906.1797

PRACTICES

  • Capital Markets
  • Commodities and Derivatives Regulation & Enforcement
  • Derivatives, Equities & Structured Products
  • Digital Assets & Web3
  • Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
  • Financial Regulatory

INDUSTRIES

  • Energy & Infrastructure
  • Entertainment, Sports & Media
  • Financial Institutions
  • Fintech

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • New York

EDUCATION

  • JD, Columbia University School of Law, 2005
    Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • BA, Emory University, 2000
    magna cum laude

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

  • English
  • Spanish

PROFILE

Yvette Valdez is a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins. Yvette is Co-Chair of the Commodities and Derivatives Regulation and Enforcement Practice, head of the US derivatives regulatory practice, Co-Chair of the firm’s Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, and a member of the firm’s Financial Institutions and Fintech Industry Groups and Financial Regulatory and Derivatives Practices.

Yvette advises emerging companies, financial institutions, and investment managers on complex regulatory challenges in the development of bespoke financial crypto-asset and cryptocurrency technologies including token launches, market infrastructure, trading, clearing, and settlement solutions on distributed ledger technology. She also advises clients on domestic and cross-border cutting-edge fintech initiatives in the derivatives markets.

Yvette also has significant experience representing dealers, intermediaries, and end-users in connection with derivatives (swaps and futures) legal and regulatory matters under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Commodity Exchange Act, as well as related CFTC, SEC, and prudential regulation.

Her regulatory practice consists of assisting foreign and domestic investment banks, futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, broker-dealers, and commodity pool operators and commodity trading advisors with their derivatives regulatory compliance requirements as well as advising buy-side clients in connection with their margining, clearing, and trade execution requirements. Yvette also counsels clients in market infrastructure, trading, clearing, and settlement in the derivatives markets, including FBOTs, swap execution facilities, and designated contract markets.

Yvette has extensive experience representing financial institutions in bespoke derivatives transactions, including interest rate and credit derivatives, foreign exchange transactions, total return swaps, commodity transactions, futures, and options.

Yvette was named to Innovate Finance's 2018 Women in FinTech Powerlist in the Professional & Financial Services category in recognition of her leadership in the industry.

Speaking Engagements

  • ISDA 2024 Houston Conference, Digital Assets in Energy Markets, March 2024
  • FIA L&C Conference, New Products, New Entrants, New Models, April 2024 
  • FIA Forum: Commodities 2024, Make Your Trading Documentation Work For You, September 2024
  • 8th Annual DC Fintech Week, The Past and Future of Tokenizing Real World Assets, October 2024

EXPERIENCE

Yvette's experience includes representing:

  • Robinhood in connection with its acquisition of Marex North America’s futures commission merchant business
  • SunTrust Bank, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, Credit Agricole CIB, BNP Paribas, Citibank N.A., and SMBC in connection with fixed-income, foreign exchange, commodity, and total return swap derivatives transactions* 
  • Major investment banks, in connection with the creation of derivative platforms for fixed income derivatives and general representation in relation to such derivative platforms*
  • Private equity firms and funds in connection with fixed income and credit derivatives transactions* 
  • Various energy and gas companies in connection with hedging documentation in commodity transactions including emission allowances, power, and fuel*
  • Foreign financial institutions in connection with clearing and trade execution on-boarding* 
  • Financial institutions in connection with hedging and credit enhancement transactions and risk management structures involving derivatives, including total return swaps, credit default swaps, and forward delivery agreements*
  • Foreign financial institutions in Latin America, in connection with the execution of derivatives transactions with various dealers in respect of the bank's various foreign exchange transactions and currency options and swaps with other dealers* 
  • Commercial and investment banks in connection with termination and settlement as well as collateral obligations of various derivatives transactions in respect of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy* 
  • Investment managers in connection with commodity pool operator and commodity trading advisor regulatory and compliance obligations*

*Completed prior to joining Latham & Watkins