Matthew S. Smith

Matthew S. Smith

Counsel
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Matthew Smith is Counsel in Baker McKenzie's Transactional Practice Group based in New York and is a member of the Global Derivatives Team.

Prior to joining the Baker McKenzie, Matt worked at another international law firm. He previously served on secondment at a leading global investment bank.

Practice Focus

Matt’s practice focuses on transactional and regulatory matters related to derivatives, finance, structured products, commodities, and securities. He assists a range of clients, including corporate borrowers and issuers, asset managers, private equity funds, hedge funds, broker-dealers, and other businesses, in negotiating trading documentation related to futures, cleared swaps, and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives transactions (including interest rate hedges, commodity hedges, foreign exchange (FX) forwards and swaps, equity derivatives, credit default swaps, structured investments, and repurchase agreements), as well as related collateral, guarantee, custody, and other credit support arrangements. He also advises clients on matters relating to compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act, the applicable requirements of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Futures Association (NFA), and the rules and regulations of various clearinghouses and exchanges.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Bar Association's Business Law Section - Member, Derivatives and Futures Law Committee
  • FIA Law & Compliance Division - Member
  • New York City Bar Association - Member, Futures and Derivatives Law Committee
  • New York State Bar Association - Member, Derivatives and Structured Products Law Committee

Admissions

  • New Jersey~United States
  • New York~United States

Education

  • St. John's University, School of Law (JD) (2011)
  • Johns Hopkins University (BA) (2006)

Languages

  • English

Author, “Sustainability under scrutiny - the CFTC spearheads a novel fraud action against a voluntary carbon credit developer,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, October 25, 2024

Author, “Sustainability-Linked Derivatives – ISDA's Case for Standardisation in a Globalised World,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, January 24, 2024

Author, “Navigating Regulatory Tides: A Deep Dive into Fiscal Year-End SEC and CFTC Enforcement Strategies,” Global Compliance News/Baker McKenzie Blog, November 18, 2023

Author, “CFTC Lays Claim to DeFi Regulation,” Blockchain Blog, September 20, 2023

Author, “Boats against the current? Credit-sensitive rates after LIBOR,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, August 22, 2023

Author, “In the Know: LIBOR is dead: Long live Synthetic LIBOR!,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, June 26, 2023

Panelist Speaker, LIBOR Transition: The Pieces Start Coming Together, State Bar of Arizona CLE Webinar, April 27, 2022