Leadership

Don is one of the original partners of Optima, joining the firm in 2015. As the firm's technical partner, Don is responsible for providing advice on a range of issues presented by the firm's diverse client base. Don worked as an attorney in the Divisions of Investment Management and Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission and for four years at Duff & Phelps, where he gained valuable experience working with clients registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as members of the National Futures Association.

Don manages many of Optima's SEC mock examinations and is typically a member of the firm's response team in the event of SEC or NFA examinations. Don also assists with regulatory filings, private placement issues, Forms PF and CPO-PQR, as well as cross-border issues from the US perspective for the firm's international clients. Don received an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School, a JD summa cum laude from the University of Dayton School of Law and a BA in Political Science from the University of Alabama.