Kate L. Lashley

KATE LASHLEY focuses her practice on derivatives regulation, transactions and compliance matters, and is a member of Sidley’s OTC Derivatives and FinTech and Blockchain groups. Kate advises a wide range of clients, including buy-side, sell-side and market intermediaries, in all aspects of their derivatives trading, structuring, documentation and regulation. She has extensive experience advising both regulated entities and end users (financial and non-financial) on regulatory and compliance issues under the Commodity Exchange Act, the Dodd-Frank Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Kate also advises clients on a range of matters related to blockchain and digital assets, including regulation and compliance, trading and investment in digital assets, and tokenization.

Kate has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Law360 for her work in the derivatives compliance area and was named as an “On the Rise” honoree as a part of the 2024 Florida Legal Awards.

Kate is a founding partner of Sidley’s Miami office and sits on the Board of Directors of the Miami Children’s Museum.

Kate’s representative engagements include the following:

• Assisting a broad range of financial institutions, including swap execution facilities (SEFs), security-based SEFs, introducing brokers and swap dealers, with CFTC registrations and the development of compliance and supervisory policies and procedures.
• Representation of inter-dealer broker in obtaining its SEF and SBSEF registrations with the CFTC and SEC, respectively.
• Counseling swap market participants on the complex regulatory issues arising in cross-border derivatives transactions.
• Advising on questions relating to the regulatory characterization of derivatives and digital asset transactions.
• Representing investment advisers and other clients in connection with investments and trading in cryptocurrency and digital assets, including negotiation of token purchase, prime brokerage and digital assets lending agreements and advising on disclosure and regulatory issues.
• Represented BlockTower Capital Advisors LP on two high-profile transactions with decentralized finance platform Sky (formerly MakerDAO) involving the deployment of DAI stablecoin collateral into real-world credit assets and into synthetic dollar protocol, Ethena.
• Represented Mattereum, a UK platform enabling tokenization of real world assets, in its first U.S. token issuance.
• Representing SEFs and other trading platforms, including digital asset exchanges, in the development of new products and trading protocols and in ongoing regulatory and compliance matters.
• Counseling financial end users on the initial and variation margin requirements for uncleared swaps, including analysis of regulatory status under the rules, calculation of AANA thresholds and negotiation of related documentation.
• Drafting and negotiating swap documentation in connection with a variety of bespoke derivatives transactions, including insurance and digital asset-related transactions.
• Counseling would-be swap dealers and security-based swap dealers in connection with application of the “de minimis” dealer exemptions and compliance with the related regulatory framework.
• Designing and implementing hedging programs for commercial end users, including through the use of treasury affiliates.
• Advising commercial swaps end users with respect to the “end-user exemption” under Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act, including public company board approval requirements.
• Represented Innovation Endeavors in its investment in start-up electricity derivatives exchange and CFTC designated contract market applicant, ElectronX.
• Represented Cboe Global Markets, Inc. in its acquisition of Eris Digital Holdings, LLC, an operator of a U.S.-based digital asset spot market, a CFTC-regulated futures exchange and a CFTC-regulated clearing house.
• Represented International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) on blockchain-related aspects of the spinoff of its Global Gaming and PlayDigital businesses in a deal valued at approximately US$6.2 billion.

• Kate serves as Miami chair of SidleyWomen
• Board Member, Miami Children’s Museum
• Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Executive Leadership Program Certification, 2025