Latest Insight: When Oil Volatility Spikes, Litigation Follows
A $1.3 billion Volatility Dispute was “resolved” by Legislation.
In a highly unusual move, the Province of Alberta passed legislation to indemnify the fund manager from claims made by several pension plans concerning the losses incurred in 2020, thereby aborting the judicial process.
Reminds us of Hammersmith and Fulham LBC, the landmark 1992 ruling that found that the municipalities' swaps were “ultra vires".
When complexity and consequence demand definitive expertise
Capital Market Risk Advisors (CMRA} is an independent advisory firm -the pre-eminent boutique specializing in derivatives, structured products, and complex financial instruments. For almost 40 years, our partners and senior professionals have been at the epicenter of every major market crisis, litigation, and regulatory investigation in the derivatives industry. Our partners have managed over $150 billion in derivatives business and held direct responsibility over balance sheets exceeding $1 trillion. We have served over 500 clients on six continents.
FOUNDER & CEO
Co-head, Citibank Derivatives Group• Founding ISDA Board Member• Board Director, Fannie Mae & CIBC· BS & MBA, MIT· P.R.I.M.E. Finance Expert
PARTNER & LEAD TESTIFYING EXPERT
Head of Fixed Income Research, Goldman Sachs• EVP, Fannie Mae ($1 Trillion portfolio) • PhD. Economics, Yale• CFA• Extensive testifying experience•P.R.I.M.E.Finance Expert
Our multidisciplinary team of seasoned industry professionals also includes:
A Harvard Law graduate who leverages over 15 years of hands-on experience trading credit derivatives and structured credit products coupled with perspectives garnered from his legal training to serve our clients,
The former Chief Investment Officer of Travelers Insurance’s $100 billion portfolio who also has direct experience managing convertible security and long/short equity portfolios, and
An equity research analyst and risk manager who oversaw a $3 billion fund of funds before becoming responsible for Merrill Lynch’s $26 billion in hedge fund investments.
A securitized products and derivatives expert, with over 20 years of capital markets experience, who has traded over $5 billion in CDOs, asset-backed securities, credit default swaps, and index products.
CMRA Commentary
Our latest releases on the "CMRA Commentary" blog, where we distribute thought pieces on relevant topics:
When Oil Volatility Spikes, Litigation Follows
Mar 19, 2026
Aug 6, 2024
Jun 28, 2023
Using the VIX to Distinguish between Transitory and Persistent Risk
Aug 3, 2022
Using the VIX to Distinguish between Transitory and Persistent Risk
Aug 3, 2022
SAY WHAT YOU DO, AND DO WHAT YOU SAY!
Jan 10, 2022
Get in touch
☎ Contact
leslie@cmra.com
(239) 280-1954
☎ CONTACT
peter@cmra.com
(212) 404-6100
Explore our Practice
+ Best Practices in Risk Management, Measurement, Governance and Oversight
- CMRA has been at the forefront of the development of best practices in risk, establishing standards and criteria for the implementation of policies and procedures.
- Effective risk management across an enterprise requires precise quantification of risk using state of the art modeling, qualitative assessments of unquantifiable risks and a governance, oversight and escalation structure.
- Risk organizations increasingly report to a CRO who is integrated into the company’s business strategy, but the most effective risk organizations and Enterprise Risk Management programs (ERM) are customized for the individual financial institution and may and should vary widely from company to company.
- Our approach to risk measurement is both practical and analytically robust. Our experience being hired to remediate financial sector failures informs our proactive risk management approach.
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+ Testifying and Consulting Expert Services for Complex Financial Disputes
- CMRA's seasoned experts leverage decades of direct experience in the capital markets, sterling academic credentials, and experience navigating the challenges of cross examination and direct testimony to offer expert reports and court testimony, on assessments of both liability and damages. Our clients depend on us to offer clear, independent, and well-supported evidence in a range of complex litigation matters.
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+ Experts in Complex Derivatives, Structured Finance, MBS, ABS, and Repo
- Commodity Derivatives
- Interest rates
- FX
- Credit
- Volatility
- Derivatives
- Structured Finance
- Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS)
- Asset-Backed Securities (ABS)
- Repurchase Agreements (Repo)
+ Independent Advisors for Regulatory Inquiries and Enforcement
- When it comes to negotiations and communications with regulators, our principals have experience on both sides of the table. We collaborate with financial institution clients to assess the facts related to regulatory inquiries, and also help regulators navigate nuanced topics such as trading, market structure, and market practice. While the details of our work on regulatory inquiries are confidential, we have been engaged to advise on the trading and portfolio management of the following asset classes:
- Derivatives (rates, credit, FX, equity, and commodities)
- Asset-backed securities and mortgage-related assets
- Treasuries and corporate bonds
- Structured product
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+ Independent Risk Advisors to Boards of Directors
- CMRA provides many different services to Boards of Directors that include:
- Independent oversight of management’s risk function.
- Construction of Risk Appetite Statements to ensure clarity of communication between the Board and management on risk tolerance.
- Review of an institution’s risk governance, its organization, lines of communication and reports and the optimal role for the Chief Risk Officer customized to the specific organization and culture.
- Review and assistance in construction of Risk Policies.
- Board education and training on risk.
- Best practices in linking risk and compensation.
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+ Operational and Risk Due Diligence
- Our team leverages its years of experience performing due diligence on alternative investment managers and M&A opportunities both to advise clients seeking to deploy capital and to counsel investment funds seeking to benchmark and improve their practices. Our specialized expertise in derivatives, structured product, and other esoteric asset classes allows us to assess a wide range of equity, fixed income, and hybrid strategies.
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Recent Regulatory-Related Releases
Mar 23, 2026 - CFTC clarifies use of crypto/stable coins for initial and variation margin
Feb 25, 2026 - SEC’s Division of Enforcement Announces Updates to Enforcement Manual
Oct 1, 2025 - Federal Reserve Board modifies Morgan Stanley's stress capital buffer requirement, after the firm requested reconsideration
Sep 26, 2025 - CFTC Issues Proposal to Revise Business Conduct and Swap Documentation Requirements for Swap Dealers and Major Swap Participants
Sep 17, 2025 - Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley defeat Archegos investors' insider trading appeal
Prime Finance Ukraine Sanctions/CDS Auction Updates
CMRA in the Media
CMRA's years of market experience have established the firm as an industry voice often sought after by the press and through speaking opportunities. Explore the firm's media presence through our coverage by the press as well as past speeches.
CMRA Insights
Visit our Insights page to explore the regularly updated helpful resources, links, and books we have to offer.