Former SEC Regulator to Join MFA

By Karla L. Yeh, Reporter

By Karla L. Yeh, Reporter

Managed Funds Association, a trade association of the hedge fund industry, has named an executive vice president and general counsel to represent hedge funds on domestic and international legislative and regulatory policy issues.

Stuart J. Kaswell will join MFA on Dec. 1, the MFA announced Monday. Kaswell currently serves as partner at Bryan Cave LLP, a Washington, D.C.-based litigation firm, where he focused on white-collar defense and investigations, securities litigations and enforcement practice groups. At Bryan Cave, Kaswell represented broker dealers, investment advisers, hedge funds and mutual funds in business transactions.

He previously served as a partner in Dechert LLP's financial services group and chaired its Broker-Dealer, Financial Institutions and Market Regulatory practice group. He also worked at the Securities Industry Association as senior vice president and general counsel. Prior to his post at the Securities Industry Association, he served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been branch chief, over-the-counter regulator, and oversaw the National Association of Securities Dealers at the Securities Exchange Commission.

Kaswell will work directly with Richard H. Baker, MFA president and chief executive officer, to oversee all legal aspects of the association's legislative and regulatory policy efforts.

Baker said adding Kaswell will “provide an excellent complement to the MFA team as we prepare to participate in Congress' effort to modernize the regulatory framework for financial services in the U.S.”

MFA members, comprised of members of hedge funds, funds of funds and managed futures funds, manage a significant portion of the approximately $2 trillion invested in absolute return strategies.

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Posted on Nov. 4, 2008