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Cheryl L. Isaac

Cheryl Isaac is a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C., office, where she specializes in derivatives and commodities law and is a member of the Asset Management and Investment Funds practice. Cheryl advises a broad range of derivatives market participants - commodity traders, financial institutions, brokers, asset managers, and derivatives exchanges, among others - on legal and regulatory matters under the Commodity Exchange Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and related Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and National Futures Association (NFA) rules and regulations. 

Cheryl has significant experience negotiating bespoke derivatives transactions in a variety of asset classes (interest rates, FX, digital assets, and commodities), including ISDA Master Agreements and related documentation. She regularly advises clients on the LIBOR transition and adoption of alternative reference rates such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).

Likewise, Cheryl counsels these clients, as well as DeFi protocols, digital asset exchanges, and other market participants on jurisdictional issues and best practices in the challenging US regulatory landscape. 

Prior to joining the firm, Cheryl practiced law at other US and international law firms, where she represented clients in a variety of complex financial transactions, including interest rate swaps and other derivatives products, venture debt financings, digital asset transactions, and also advised on compliance with related derivatives laws and regulations.

  • DC Bar Foundation, Advisory Committee
  • DC Bar Association, Derivatives and Futures Law Committee
  • American Bar Association, Securities, Capital Markets, and Derivatives Subcommittee, Banking Law Committee
  • Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Former Board Member
  • National Association of Women in the Law (NAWL)
  • 100 Women in Finance
  • Women in Derivatives (WIND)
  • Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Washington DC Region, Executive Committee and Board Member
  • Panelist, Strafford CLE webinar, “Swaps in Commercial Finance Transactions,” 9 November 2023
  • Panelist, Strafford CLE webinar, "Life After LIBOR: Amending Existing Mortgage Instruments, Fallback Language, SOFR and Spread Adjustments," 8 August 2023
  • Panelist, Investment Advisor Association Compliance Conference, “Considerations for Investing in Digital Assets for Clients,” 14 March 2023
  • Panelist, New York State Bar Association Derivatives and Structured Products Committee, “Emerging Issues in Derivatives Regulation: DeFi and Beyond,” 12 April 2023
  • Panelist, Futures Industry Association Law and Compliance Conference, “Crypto Regulation and Enforcement,” 28 April 2023
  • Speaker, "Digital Assets Regulation: Where We Are Today" Financial Markets Association: Securities Compliance Webinar, 5 May 2022
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