Alston & Bird has added partner Cheryl Isaac as a partner in its Financial Services Group in Washington, D.C., strengthening the firm’s focus on regulatory and transactional issues tied to derivatives products, prediction markets, commodity trading, digital assets, and decentralized finance—areas of increasing importance to clients such as asset managers and investment funds.
“Cheryl brings an invaluable understanding of derivatives oversight and how established market structures can accelerate the development of new financial products,” said Cliff Stanford, partner in Atlanta and chair of Alston & Bird’s Financial Services Group. “She has spent years working alongside financial institutions, investment sponsors, and trading participants as these areas have matured, giving her insight into the practical issues clients are facing today. We anticipate Cheryl’s expertise integrating closely with several of the firm’s corporate and transactional practice groups.”
Cheryl advises derivatives exchanges, financial institutions, asset managers, trading firms, and corporate hedgers on derivatives regulation and transactional strategy, with extensive experience negotiating ISDA documentation and counseling clients on derivatives transactions across asset classes, including security-based swaps. She also helps clients comply with the rules of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the National Futures Association, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Increasingly, she applies the established derivatives framework to support clients entering unfamiliar markets, assessing regulatory exposure and commercial risk as they expand their offerings.
“Prediction markets and other emerging financial models are drawing greater attention from investors, fund managers, and institutions,” said Tim Selby, partner in New York and head of Alston & Bird’s investment funds practice. “As funds and sponsors increasingly explore derivatives-based strategies and novel products, Cheryl knows how to help shape new products that balance commercial priorities and regulatory demands.”
A frequent writer and speaker on financial innovation and developments affecting derivatives markets, Cheryl said she was drawn to the firm’s collaborative approach and strong financial services and investment funds practices.
“Clients exploring prediction markets and other novel business models and financial products often want to adapt reliable transactional frameworks rather than reinvent them,” said Cheryl. “Much of my work involves helping them apply familiar approaches in new, unprecedented contexts. Alston & Bird’s ability to bring together regulatory, funds, finance, and digital assets capabilities provides a strong foundation for delivering the coordinated guidance our clients expect.”
About Alston & Bird’s Financial Services/Investment Funds
Alston & Bird’s Financial Services and Investment Funds Groups advise U.S. and global financial institutions on a full range of regulatory, corporate, and transactional matters. The team provides practical, business-focused guidance on strategic transactions, investment products, derivatives, consumer finance, banking, and payments issues, helping clients navigate evolving regulations and pursue opportunities in dynamic financial markets.