PrintWelcome to EBF 301: Global Finance for the Earth, Energy, and Materials Industries
Hello. My name is Jim Falvey and I will be your Instructor for this course. I am an attorney and an MBA. I have worked in the financial services industry since 1995. A large part of my work in this industry has been in the energy trading arena. Specifically, I was the first General Counsel at the IntercontinentalExchange ("ICE"). ICE is one of two major energy exchanges in the United States. The other is the New York Mercantile Exchange ("NYMEX"), which is a part of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group ("CME Group"). I have also worked at the CME Group. Because of my work with ICE and CME Group, I've learned a great deal about the underlying energy industry.
Additionally, through my work at ICE and CME Group, I've had the opportunity to work closely with regulators and legislators on many energy trading policy issues. For example, I've given presentations about the ICE compliance system that monitors for, among other things, "wash trading," to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC"), as well as the Financial Services Authority ("FSA") in the United Kingdom. I've also participated in Senate "Roundtable" discussions about issues related to regulation of the energy markets.
I currently consult and provide legal advice on a variety of regulatory and compliance issues. Among other clients, I'm working with a start-up hedge fund that is focusing on energy markets. I'm also consulting with a couple of exchanges, as well as an asset manager. Because of the new regulatory world in which we find ourselves thanks to the Dodd-Frank legislation, there is a lot of uncertainty in all derivative markets (over-the-counter and "on-exchange"). Market participants are trying to ensure that they are in compliance with the new regulations (and, in many cases, the regulations are still being drafted by the CFTC and others). Thus, this environment presents lots of opportunities for entrepreneurs, as well as attorneys and consultants.
I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Political Science. I then worked for a Member of Congress and attended Georgetown University Law Center, where I received my JD. Lastly, I went to Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) where I received an MBA.
I have lectured and provided presentations at numerous industry events and forums. From these experiences, I decided that I wanted to teach (preferably at a college or graduate level). So, I'm very excited about the opportunity to work with all of you. I think you'll find this class very interesting. Perhaps you'll even find a career path.
On a personal note, I enjoy sports and music. I've run 8 marathons (but none recently because of some annoying injuries). I hope to be up and running again soon. I've played the trumpet for many years. I marched with the Notre Dame band. The football team was not very good when I was at Notre Dame. Penn State beat Notre Dame regularly - and easily - when I was in school. More recently, I've played in an oldies rock-n-roll band. Aside from singing (mostly background vocals), I've played keyboards and the electric bass.
Please make sure that you let me know a little bit about you. Even though this course is being conducted over the Internet, I want to make this experience as personal as possible for you. Don't hesitate to contact me via email or phone with any questions. I hope you enjoy this class. I look forward to getting to know you.