R.J. O'Brien Appoints Falvey as Corporate General Counsel

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Jan 19, 2010, 12:00 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the nation's largest independent futures brokerage firm, today announced that it has appointed futures industry veteran attorney James M. Falvey, 44, as the firm's new Corporate General Counsel. Falvey has served as General Counsel or a high-ranking attorney at three of the world's leading futures and over-the-counter marketplaces.

Said Gerry Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer of RJO: "Jim's wealth of experience in virtually all aspects of the futures industry and legal community will be a tremendous addition to the firm. We are pleased to welcome him on board as RJO continues to execute our growth strategy and as the industry evolves ever more rapidly with new technology and regulatory challenges."

In private practice since 2008 with clients in and outside of the futures industry, Falvey served as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel as well as Corporate Secretary for the U.S. Futures Exchange (formerly Eurex U.S.) from 2004 to 2008. Previously, he was Vice President, and the first General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) from 2001 to 2004. He was Director and Associate General Counsel of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (CME) from 1999 to 2001.

At the exchanges, Falvey was responsible for legal, compliance, regulatory and legislative affairs, as well as securities law and corporate governance matters. He has written and spoken extensively about issues affecting the futures industry and electronic trading, and he has written and submitted testimony on the subjects before the U.S. Congress. A member of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Technology Advisory Committee since 2004, he served on the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank's Financial Services Working Group in 2008.

Falvey said: "RJO is a cutting-edge firm with extraordinary attention to client service. I am pleased to join the team as we explore new opportunities for meeting risk management and trading needs across the globe."

Prior to his work in the futures industry, Falvey was Assistant Counsel in the Corporate Litigation Division of Allstate Insurance Company, an associate in the Litigation Section of Hopkins & Sutter law firm and Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard A. Enslen, who served on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. A native of Stevensville, Mich., Falvey was Projects Director and Legislative Assistant in Washington to U.S. Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan in the late 1980s.

He earned his juris doctor degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington. He subsequently earned a master of business administration degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Ill. He received a bachelor of arts degree in government and international studies, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Falvey is a member of the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Futures Industry Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The Southern Center for Human Rights bestowed on Falvey its prestigious Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award in 2007 for his pro bono work on behalf of a Guantanamo Bay detainee.

He resides in Western Springs, Ill., with his wife and two children. In his free time, Falvey competes in marathons and plays electric bass and trumpet in a band.

About R.J. O'Brien

Founded in 1914, RJO is the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States. A privately owned, full-service futures commission merchant (FCM), RJO is a full clearing member of the CME Group (including the Chicago Board of Trade and New York Mercantile Exchange); ICE Futures U.S.; ICE Futures Europe; Eurex AG; EuronextLIFFE and Chicago Climate Exchange. The firm offers state-of-the-art electronic trading technology and 24-hour trade execution on every futures exchange worldwide. With over $2 billion in client assets, RJO clears more than 80,000 client accounts. The firm services a global network of more than 290 introducing brokers and many of the world's largest financial, industrial and agricultural institutions.

For more information, please visit www.rjobrien.com.

SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & Associates