George Dowd

Attorney · Founder, G. Dowd Law LLC · Chicago

George Dowd, attorney and founder of G. Dowd Law LLC

George Dowd is the founder of G. Dowd Law LLC, a Chicago law firm. An Illinois attorney with more than twenty-five years as a participant in the financial markets — and now counsel and a testifying expert witness in that field — he advises and represents individuals, firms, and institutions on financial markets and digital asset matters, technology and artificial intelligence related issues, and represents individuals in anonymous whistleblower complaints. He also welcomes inquiries on a wider range of legal matters.

The Firm

G. Dowd Law LLC is a Chicago law firm built on a simple premise: experience inside an industry produces sharper counsel than experience merely gleaned from the outside looking in. The firm’s published focus mirrors George Dowd’s own background — financial markets, digital assets, and the disputes and regulatory matters that arise in those fields — alongside a litigation and advisory practice serving Illinois clients more broadly. Clients range from individuals working through general legal matters to firms and institutions facing regulators, arbitration panels, and opposing experts.

Experience: From the Markets to the Practice of Law

Before practicing law, George Dowd spent more than twenty-five years working directly in the financial markets — foreign exchange, financial and commodity futures, and the metals markets. He was with Société Générale (via affiliated brokerage entities Fimat and Newedge) from 2007 through 2015 where he was Head of the Chicago Foreign Exchange Desk and Head of Foreign Exchange Sales for the Americas. Prior to 2007, he established the Spectrum Currency Program at Spectrum Asset Management, and held senior foreign exchange roles at JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Credit Suisse. His trading experience includes both global-macro proprietary trading experience and systematic trading experience. He has extensive experience with market position sizing algorithms and has developed volatility adjusted position sizing algorithms. That period is the foundation of the firm’s work in this area: he has lived the operational realities, trading conventions, and regulatory pressures that most lawyers encounter only secondhand.

He earned his B.A. in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, and is admitted to practice in Illinois. Today he combines that market background with legal practice — counseling clients, litigating disputes, and serving as an expert witness in financial markets matters.

How George Helps Clients

Financial Markets

Regulatory, conduct, and dispute counsel for foreign exchange, futures, and metals market participants. The firm maintains a public reference resource on this area at financialmarkets.law.

Digital Assets and Cryptocurrency

The firm’s deepest practice — customer claims against failed and distressed exchanges, fraud and asset recovery, SEC and CFTC enforcement matters, token and DAO structuring questions, and cryptocurrency issues that arise in the family context. The firm maintains a public reference resource on this area at digitalasset.law.

Whistleblower Representation

Representation of individuals bringing whistleblower complaints, including coordinated submissions across the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN/OFAC, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Technology and Artificial Intelligence

Counsel on legal questions arising from artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies — issues of accountability, risk, and harm as AI systems come into wider use, and the responsible adoption of AI tools in professional and regulated settings. George follows this rapidly evolving area closely, including through his membership on the technology law committees of the American Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.

In addition to the above, George closely follows all developments related to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Prediction Markets, and Vaccine Injury related topics.

Expert Witness Practice

George Dowd is regularly retained as an expert witness in financial markets disputes, drawing on a career spent inside the markets themselves. He has provided expert testimony and opinion work in proceedings before the National Futures Association (NFA), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the Federal Court of Australia.

Education, Admissions, and Background

  • J.D., DePaul University College of Law
  • B.A., Economics, College of the Holy Cross
  • Admitted to practice: Illinois
  • More than twenty-five years of direct financial markets experience prior to the practice of law
  • Board of Directors, Global Digital Asset & Cryptocurrency Association (2020–2021)
  • Guest lecturer, DePaul University Graduate School of Business

Professional memberships

  • American Bar Association
    • Cyber & Technology Law: Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Committee
    • Derivatives and Futures Law Committee
    • Science & Technology Law: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics Committee
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
    • Cyber Law and Data Privacy Committee
    • Financial and Emerging Technologies Committee
    • Futures and Derivatives Law Committee
    • Securities Law Committee
    • Gaming Law Committee
  • Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association

Writing and Speaking

George writes and speaks on developments in financial markets and digital asset law, and has appeared frequently on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, and the Fox Business Network. His published work includes an article on the GENIUS Act in the National Law Review.

Speaking Engagements

  • 2025 — Securities Experts Roundtable 2025 Conference — Cryptocurrency/Digital Assets: Where Are We Now, and Where Are We Going?
  • 2022 — DAODenver 2022 — Fiduciary Responsibility of Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) Governors
  • 2022 — 1st Annual Web3 Law Conference — Decentralized Exchanges
  • 2021 — General Counsel Conference Midwest 2021 — Exploring the Legal and Business Impact of Digital Currencies
  • 2018 — National Futures Association — Mechanics of Spoofing and Cross Market Spoofing
  • 2015 — People’s Bank of China (Shanghai) — Using Foreign Exchange Futures Contracts
  • 2014 — Profit & Loss Forex Network — Fundamentals of Benchmarking and the Foreign Exchange Fix

Publications

  • 2025 — The National Law Review — The GENIUS Act: Key Highlights and Anticipated Impacts
  • 2022 — Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) — Digital Assets, Cryptocurrencies, and Blockchain
  • 2015 — People’s Bank of China / China Money Magazine — The Advantages of Forward Contracts with Standardized Delivery Dates
  • 2012 — Profit & Loss Magazine — Newedge’s George Dowd: Realist or Optimist?
  • 2007 — Intelligent Commodity Investing — The Move to Electronic Trading: What to Expect in the Natural Resources Commodity Markets

Working With the Firm

Most clients come to G. Dowd Law LLC with a problem, not a practice-area label. While the firm often focuses on financial and technology matters, George counsels clients on a broader range of civil and litigation matters, and where a matter calls for it, works with experienced co-counsel or can help connect you with the right attorney. If you are not certain whether your situation is something the firm handles, the simplest step is to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of matters does G. Dowd Law LLC handle?

G. Dowd Law LLC is a Chicago law firm whose published focus is financial markets law, digital asset and cryptocurrency law, anonymous whistleblower representation, and technology and artificial intelligence. George Dowd also counsels clients on a broader range of civil and litigation matters. For example, George closely follows all developments related to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Prediction Markets, and Vaccine Injury related topics. If you don’t see your situation listed, it is still worth a call — the firm can either help directly or point you toward the right attorney.

Does G. Dowd Law LLC represent individuals, or only firms and institutions?

Both. George Dowd represents individual clients — in financial and digital asset disputes, whistleblower complaints, and more — as well as businesses and institutions. The firm works comfortably at any scale, from a single-client legal case to an institutional dispute.

What is George Dowd’s background in financial markets?

George Dowd worked directly in the financial markets for more than twenty-five years — across foreign exchange, financial and commodity futures, and the metals markets — before establishing his legal practice. That firsthand experience is the foundation of the firm’s financial markets and expert witness work: he understands the trading conventions, operational realities, and regulatory pressures of the markets from the inside.

Can George Dowd serve as an expert witness in a financial markets dispute?

Yes. George Dowd is regularly retained as an expert witness in financial markets matters, drawing on more than twenty-five years of direct market experience. He has provided expert testimony and opinion work in proceedings before the National Futures Association (NFA), FINRA, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the Federal Court of Australia. Contact the firm directly to discuss specifics.

Can G. Dowd Law LLC help with cryptocurrency or digital assets in a divorce?

Yes — and this is a relatively new area of law. The firm practices in digital asset law and has handled domestic relations and family law cases as well. George Dowd helps clients and counsel address how cryptocurrency and other digital assets are identified, valued, and divided, including questions of discovery, tracing, and hard-to-value or undisclosed holdings.

What happens during an initial consultation with G. Dowd Law LLC?

An initial consultation is a focused conversation about your situation — what has happened, what outcome you are seeking, and how the firm can help. George Dowd will explain the likely process, the realistic options, and how the firm works, so you can make an informed decision about next steps.

How do I schedule a consultation with G. Dowd Law LLC?

You can schedule online through the firm’s booking page at calendly.com/gdowdlaw/consultation, or by calling the office directly at (312) 854-8300. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central, but our phones are answered 24/7.

Where is G. Dowd Law LLC located?

G. Dowd Law LLC is located in downtown Chicago at 181 West Madison St, 47th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602.

Does G. Dowd Law LLC offer free consultations?

Yes. G. Dowd Law LLC offers a complimentary initial consultation — a no obligation conversation about your situation and how the firm can help. You can book online or by phone.

Contact

G. Dowd Law LLC
181 West Madison St, 47th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 854-8300
Email: info@gdowd.law
Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central
Schedule a consultation: calendly.com/gdowdlaw/consultation