Rita Molesworth

Rita M. Molesworth is a seasoned practitioner and recognized leader possessing unparalleled experience with the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations. Rita advises numerous market participants on prediction markets and event contracts, digital assets and other novel products. She is active in advising clients on the CEA and U.S. securities laws applicable to financial institutions and other companies. Rita also advises clients on CFTC and NFA rules regarding privacy, cybersecurity and general compliance matters.

Rita counsels a broad range of market participants on futures, swaps and general corporate and securities law matters. Such participants include designated contract markets (DCMs), futures commission merchants, commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, swap dealers, investment advisers, hedge fund managers, and other businesses. Rita also assists clients in U.S. and non-U.S. offerings of commodity pools and hedge funds employing simple to complex structures.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission appointed Rita as an Independent Compliance Monitor in connection with settlements between those agencies and the Bank of Nova Scotia.

Rita began her career as an examiner with the National Futures Association (NFA). She worked with energy companies (open outcry years) on the trading floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Rita serves on, and has chaired, multiple committees in the financial services arena. She is a past Chair of the American Bar Association's Derivatives and Futures Law Committee and the New York City Bar's Futures and Derivatives Regulation Committee.