The global derivatives market is a cornerstone of modern finance, allowing companies and investors to manage risk, enhance liquidity, and achieve complex financial objectives. Yet the regulatory and transactional landscape surrounding derivatives continues to evolve rapidly. Axiom’s derivatives lawyers bring deep experience in derivatives and structured products, regulatory compliance, and structured finance, helping clients navigate every facet of this sophisticated market.
Deep Experience Across Financial Products
Axiom’s lawyers advise financial institutions, investment managers, and corporations on transactions involving derivatives across asset classes, including interest rate, currency, foreign exchange, and equity derivatives. Our lawyers can assist in negotiating and documenting over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, exchange-traded contracts, and complex instruments governed by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) framework.
Our derivatives practice supports clients in structuring and executing hedging strategies, managing exposure, and addressing margin, collateral, and clearing requirements. By combining legal precision with commercial insight, Axiom helps clients execute transactions that align with internal risk management policies and market best practices.
Navigating Regulatory Complexity
The regulatory environment for derivatives continues to tighten, driven by oversight from agencies such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Axiom’s derivatives lawyers advise can clients on compliance with registration, reporting, clearing, and business conduct standards, as well as cross-border implications under Dodd-Frank and comparable international regimes.
Our lawyers are experienced in representing clients before regulators and counterparties, helping ensure compliance while maintaining operational efficiency. They work with compliance and legal teams to develop internal frameworks that meet the latest CFTC, SEC, and prudential standards without slowing commercial execution.
Transactional Support and Risk Management
Axiom’s lawyers provide comprehensive derivatives transactional support, from negotiation through execution. They draft and review ISDA Master Agreements, Credit Support Annexes, and related documentation to ensure clarity and enforceability. For hedge fund and asset management clients, our team assists with trade documentation, counterparty risk assessment, and fund-level governance relating to derivatives exposure.
Our lawyers also work on transactions that integrate derivatives into broader structured finance or securitization frameworks. By working closely with deal teams, risk officers, and operations leaders, they ensure derivatives are structured to meet business objectives while satisfying both internal and external compliance requirements.
Supporting Global Derivatives Activity
The global nature of today’s financial markets means derivatives often span multiple jurisdictions and regulatory regimes. Axiom’s lawyers help clients manage the complexities of cross-border derivatives transactions, including compliance with margin rules, trade reporting, and recognition of netting and collateral arrangements.
With experience advising on both U.S. and international regulations, our bench of lawyers can support clients operating in major derivatives hubs worldwide. Whether drafting agreements for foreign exchange swaps or advising on hybrid products that combine derivatives and structured products, Axiom delivers pragmatic, business-aligned legal support.
Flexible Legal Talent for a Dynamic Market
Axiom provides access to top-tier derivatives counsel without the overhead of traditional law firms. Our flexible model allows clients to scale their legal capabilities to meet the demands of dynamic trading environments, product innovation, and evolving regulation.
Whether advising a financial institution, hedge fund, or corporate end user, Axiom’s derivatives lawyers deliver the technical knowledge and commercial understanding needed to manage risk and maintain compliance in the complex world of derivatives.
