Orrick Adds CFTC Associate Director and Chief Trial Attorney to Advise Crypto, Fintech and Gaming Sector Clients

• Dan Ullman, a 16-year veteran of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a Chief Trial Attorney since 2014, and most recently an Associate Director, joins Orrick’s Financial & Fintech Advisory group as a partner. Dan is based in Washington, D.C.
• Dan will focus on helping the hundreds of Orrick clients innovating in the crypto, fintech and gaming spaces navigate a fast-changing regulatory landscape—and help explain these emerging technologies and markets to regulators. He brings extensive knowledge of the Commodity Exchange Act, its Dodd-Frank amendments and CFTC regulations from his work on enforcement, litigation and licensing/registration work in U.S. financial derivative markets.
• Dan joins a 60+ attorney Chambers USA Band 1 financial services regulatory practice following Orrick’s 2023 combination with Buckley, as well as Orrick’s Chambers USA-ranked gaming and gambling practice. Orrick is at the forefront of litigation and regulatory enforcement in financial services, fintech, blockchain & digital assets and gaming – where we have been recognized with Law360 Practice Group of the Year honors in each of Fintech, Banking and Sports Betting.
• Dan’s experience encompasses every facet of financial derivatives regulated by the CFTC, including futures, swaps, options, digital assets, prediction markets, event contracts, and physical commodities. From his prior time in private practice, he also has considerable experience litigating complex business disputes, including MDLs, consumer class actions and securities matters.
• Dan is the fifth addition to the firm’s litigation and regulatory teams in 2025 and follows the recent addition of a Chambers Global Band 1-ranked 37-lawyer CLO and asset-backed lending team.

“We face this moment where innovation continues to outpace regulation, while at the same time the CFTC has assumed a central role in both the crypto and prediction market spaces,” said Orrick partner Behnam Dayanim, who is Chambers-ranked for his regulatory and advisory work in gaming, gambling and fintech, among others. “I’m delighted to welcome Dan as a colleague and can’t wait to introduce him to our clients. His deep knowledge of how the CFTC works, his reputation within and outside the CFTC and his extensive CEA and regulatory experience will give clients confidence as they navigate these changing regulatory waters.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dan at this moment of opportunity for our clients, as regulators at the SEC and the CFTC look to harmonize their efforts to unlock economic value for platforms while protecting investors,” added Orrick partner Katy Ryan, who co-leads the Financial and Fintech Advisory Practice Group.

“While it is a bittersweet move to leave the government, I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned over my 16 years at the CFTC and my deep interest in financial regulation to bear for Orrick’s clients. There’s no better platform than the team Orrick has built around these cutting-edge financial technologies,” said Dan.

Dan’s record includes his work on the leading case establishing CFTC jurisdiction over digital currency as a commodity under the CEA. In 2017 and 2020, he was awarded CFTC Chairman’s Awards based on his trial effectiveness, trial performance, trial management, and work on spoofing enforcement matters.