Schuyler Roche, P.C.

Recently, when Sentinel Management Group discounted and sold assets worth $500 million to the hedge fund Citadel Investment Group, Chicago Tribune writer Robert Manor sought clarification from SRZ’s Jeffrey Barclay, “a lawyer who represents some of the futures brokers whose money was trapped at Sentinel when the company froze redemptions.”

Stressing the “high quality” of the assets, Jeff reported anger on behalf of brokers who stood to earn “less than the full value of the securities” involved in the transaction:

	Barclay noted that the assets were originally purchased with cash from the brokers’ clients, which means the brokers have a legal obligation to protect the money.
	“There is going to be a fight over this,” he said. “There are lawyers all over Chicago drafting lawsuits as we speak.”

The Tribune’s decision to seek input from Jeff was no surprise to SRZ colleagues. SRZ’s own decision to hire Jeff more than a year ago was a calculated effort to broaden the firm’s expertise serving the commodity futures industry.

“His years of dedication to this industry were a strong recommendation,” says Michael B. Roche, head of SRZ’s Business Litigation team. “What continues to enthuse us about Jeff is the quality of his work. He understands both sides of the aisle—first as a participant in the commodity futures industry and now, for more than a decade, as a litigator and transactional attorney.”

Experienced in regulatory, registration and compliance issues, Jeff not only complements SRZ’s depth and range in securities law, he expands on the legal knowledge the firm provides its commodity futures clients, helping to make SRZ a one-stop shop for commodities companies and other industry players. These include futures commission merchants, hedge fund operators, introducing brokers, commodity trading advisors and commodity pool operators.

Steven Pherson, a partner in SRZ’s Securities and Commodities Litigation practice, says it is well worth noting that Jeff provides a focused expertise that is important to futures commission merchants. “Jeff’s skills and experience well match the needs of our clients,” says Pherson.

Jeff is quick to note, “SRZ’s experience in taxation, ERISA, intellectual property and secured lending augment the quality and quantity of legal services I can provide my clients.” As the Sentinel-Citadel story unfolds, one certainty will remain: Jeff Barclay will draw on the insight of colleagues and the depth of his experience to defend his clients and their interests.