Kevin R. Edgar

Partner

Washington, D.C.
T +1.202.861.1796
F +1.202.861.1783

Overview

Kevin Edgar has more than 25 years of financial services experience, including working for a national securities exchange, a regulator and Congress. His prior government experience as Chief Counsel of the Committee on Financial Services is particularly useful when helping clients navigate legislation, regulatory proposals and initiatives and Congressional investigations, as well as corporate governance matters that affect all public companies.

Kevin joined the firm after working for twelve years on Capitol Hill, first as a senior counsel for capital markets and then Chief Counsel of the House Committee on Financial Services. He served on the Committee staff during the financial crisis, the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203).

Kevin handled all aspects of capital markets policy for the Committee, including oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), FASB, MSRB, the PCAOB and SIPC and self-regulatory organizations such as FINRA. He managed the development of the Committee’s capital formation agenda and the Jumpstart Our Business Startups or JOBS Act (P.L. 112-106) as well as the enactment of the Small Business Advocate Act of 2016, which created the SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and the legislation to modernize the regulatory regime for business development companies in 2018.

As Chief Counsel, he oversaw the Committee’s legislative, oversight and investigations agenda and interacted regularly with House and Senate leadership and the Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee. Kevin’s work resulted in the enactment of numerous public laws on banking and regulatory relief, derivatives, housing, capital formation and national security.

Leveraging his prior position as Chief Counsel, Kevin represents clients in Congressional investigations, helping them manage responses to document and information requests or subpoenas from members of Congress and committees, and prepare witnesses for all aspects of congressional testimony, including the preparation of written testimony and briefing materials and mock hearings.

Kevin communicates public policy goals, and analyzes and develops regulatory and legislative initiatives. He possesses a deep understanding of legislative, regulatory and investigatory processes and how government agencies interact with one another. Utilizing his substantial comprehension of financial laws and regulations, Kevin provides strategic advice and counsels clients on compliance measures and industry best practices. Additionally, his market intel and broad network enable him to advise clients on how Congress and regulatory agencies can impact corporate governance, lending, investing, innovation and growth. Prior to his tenure on the House Financial Services Committee, Kevin worked for the New York Stock Exchange and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. With his in-depth financial services experience, Kevin brings a wealth of industry and public policy insight to his clients’ matters.

Select Experience

  • Submitted testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on behalf of the trade association of leading equity markets on the oversight of U.S. exchanges and legislative proposals that would alter the exchanges liability and immunity, rule proposals and the ability to incentive capital formation. 
  • Advise a business development company on tax and securities legislation.
  • Represent a family office in response to legislative proposals to alter the securities laws and the family office exemption added by the Dodd-Frank Act.
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Experience

  • Submitted testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on behalf of the trade association of leading equity markets on the oversight of U.S. exchanges and legislative proposals that would alter the exchanges liability and immunity, rule proposals and the ability to incentive capital formation. 
  • Advise a business development company on tax and securities legislation.
  • Represent a family office in response to legislative proposals to alter the securities laws and the family office exemption added by the Dodd-Frank Act.
  • Advise a Web 3.0 technology company and advocate on its behalf with Congress and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) about its digital privacy products.
  • Serves as counsel and executive director to a financial markets trade association organized to advocate and educate policymakers about issues that impact the U.S. equity markets, promote policies to safeguard a transparent marketplace, incentivize capital formation and ensure a robust secondary market for securities trading.
  • Prepared a witness for their first Congressional testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on issues related to equity market structure, clearance and settlement and market volatility.
  • Authored a comment letter for a trade association in response to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s market data infrastructure rulemaking proposal.
  • Prepared a witness for two days of Congressional testimony before the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee on digital assets and wallets.
  • Counseled a broker-dealer through the development, filing, review and submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission of its Form ATS.
  • Served as co-counsel to a financial institution with regards to its compliance program for consumer finance laws.
  • Authored a comment letter in response to the Securities and Exchange Commission's concept release on the harmonization of public and private offerings.
  •  Advised multiple clients on legislation that would alter the trading of non-U.S. public companies on U.S. securities exchanges.

Congressional Experience

  • Developed and supervised the drafting of the “Small Business Credit Availability Act,” legislation to modernize the Business Development Company regulatory regime, which became law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018.
  • Co-wrote the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), reauthorizing and modernizing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). FIRRMA was included as part of the conference report to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2019 Fiscal Year.
  • Supervised the drafting and introduction of the “Financial CHOICE Act of 2017” (H.R. 10, 115th Congress).
  • Developed and executed the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services ongoing capital formation agenda, resulting in the enactment of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups or “JOBS” Act (P.L. 112-106) and the capital markets provisions contained in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation or “FAST Act” (P.L. 114-94).
  • As Chief Securities Counsel, executed Republican strategy regarding oversight of the U.S. capital markets and SEC, FASB, MSRB, PCAOB, SIPC, FINRA and self-regulatory organizations.

Recognitions and Memberships

Memberships

  • District of Columbia Bar Association

Blog Posts

Featured Video

Equity Markets and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Play Video

Hear a discussion with high-profile executives on market challenges during the COVID-19 crisis.

Prior Positions

  • U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services: Chief Counsel (2017 to 2019); Chief Securities Counsel (2016 to 2017); Senior Counsel (2007 to 2016)
  • Public Company Accounting Oversight Board: Associate Director, Government Relations (2006 to 2007)
  • New York Stock Exchange: Senior Counsel (2006); Special Counsel and Director of Public Affairs (2001 to 2005); Special Counsel (2000 to 2001); Counsel (1999 to 2000); Associate (1997 to 1999)

Admissions

  • District of Columbia

Education

  • J.D., University of Dayton School of Law, 1996
  • B.A., Boston College, 1993, cum laude

Blog

In The Blogs

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Ohio Clock
U.S. Treasury Dept. Publishes Risk Assessment Addressing Illicit Finance Risks of DeFi - Ohio Clock
By Kevin R. Edgar
April 24, 2023
The Federal Policy team’s Kevin Edgar co-authored an analysis of the U.S. Treasury’s recent report on how bad actors are increasingly exploiting decentralized finance services for criminal activities. Kevin and members of BakerHostetler’s...
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Blockchain Monitor
New Congressional Subcommittees Foreshadow Pending Digital Asset Legislation - Blockchain Monitor
By Kevin R. Edgar, Teresa Goody Guillén, Veronica Reynolds, Michelle N. Tanney
February 13, 2023
Takeaways OverviewTwo congressional committees of the U.S. House of Representatives commenced the new year by announcing the creation of new subcommittees for the 118th Congress that are expected to analyze issues concerning cryptocurrency...
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Blockchain Monitor
US District Court Finds LBRY Tokens Are Securities
By Kevin R. Edgar, Adam D. Gale, Teresa Goody Guillén, Robert A. Musiala Jr., Veronica Reynolds, Joanna F. Wasick
November 11, 2022
In 2016, crypto startup LBRY launched the LBRY network and the LBRY protocol, described by LBRY as a decentralized content sharing and publishing protocol that supports the creation of community-run digital marketplaces. The same year...
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Blockchain Monitor
The U.S. Department of the Treasury Provides a Glimpse into the Future of Money and Payments
By J'Naia L. Boyd, Kevin R. Edgar, Robert A. Musiala Jr., Joanna F. Wasick
October 12, 2022
The Report responds to Section 4(b) of the EO and evaluates the U.S. system of money and payments, developments in stablecoins and instant payment systems, and a potential CBDC, using the following policy objectives as a guide: (1) provide...
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Blockchain Monitor
White House Outlines Key Action Items Based on EO Reports Addressing Digital Assets - Blog
By Kevin R. Edgar, Jonathan A. Forman, Adam D. Gale, Robert A. Musiala Jr.
September 29, 2022
On Sept. 16, 2022, the White House released a Fact Sheet providing key findings and action items arising from the nine reports addressing digital assets that have been submitted to the president to date consistent with the EO. The Fact...
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