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William E. Walsh

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Partner
Chicago
T.
312.517.9543
liamE

Bill represents clients in the financial sector in litigation and regulatory matters. He has deep experience in complex commercial litigation and class actions, including matters related to securities fraud, market manipulation, auditor liability, and high-frequency trading. Bill represents clients in SEC, CFTC, and exchange investigations, and prosecutions. He has extensive knowledge of the financial markets and the regulations governing those markets, including securities, commodities and derivatives, and digital assets.

Bill spent four years at American global markets company CME Group Inc., the world's largest financial derivatives exchange. At CME Group, he prosecuted rule violations, conducted hearings before exchange disciplinary panels, and administered the exchange arbitration process. His experience there provided him valuable perspective that informs the advice he provides clients in the complex litigation, investigative and regulatory matters he now handles in private practice.

Bill has served as an adjunct professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Broad knowledge

Bill is a seasoned litigator, with experience in various forums, including federal and state courts, administrative agency proceedings, and arbitration. In the financial markets, he has experience with a broad range of financial products and asset classes. At CME Group, he was responsible for regulating trading in futures and options in agricultural products, currencies, energy, interest rates, metals, stock indexes, and cryptocurrencies.

Prosecutorial experience

As senior enforcement counsel in CME Group's Market Regulation Department, Bill investigated and prosecuted rule violations on CME Group Exchanges related to matters such as disruptive trading and messaging, spoofing, trading algorithms and system malfunctions, wash trades, position limit violations and non-competitive trading.

Cryptocurrency

Bill has written and advised on numerous issues surrounding cryptocurrency and coin offerings, including ongoing developments in regulation of digital assets by the SEC, CFTC and other regulators.

  • Litigation
  • White Collar, Government Investigations & Regulatory Compliance
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
  • University of Southern California, B.A.
  • Illinois
  • California
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chicago Bar Association
Articles and Presentations
March 21, 2025
What the Future May Hold for Crypto Asset Litigation and Regulation
June 8, 2023
CFTC Issues Staff Advisory Letters on DCO Regulation: Prime Brokerage Arrangements and Digital Assets
May 25, 2023
Swaps Enforcement Update: Business Conduct Standards for Swap Dealers and Major Swap Participants

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News
December 18, 2023
William E. Walsh mentioned in Crain's Chicago People on the Move
October 17, 2023
William E. Walsh mentioned in Law360 article | "Benesch Adds Financial Litigation Partner in Chicago"
October 12, 2023
Benesch Welcomes William E. Walsh as Partner in Chicago
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