Michael De Laval

Michael De Laval has been involved in the trading and risk management industry for over 35 years with a particular emphasis and focus in the energy sector inclusive of oil, oil products, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and power. He has deep industry experience and expertise in domestic and international commodity markets as an expert in physical trading, derivatives trading, physical operations, asset development, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Mike has managed and overseen large and complex trading portfolios inclusive of operational assets, physical positions, futures, swaps, options, and exotics for large trading organizations, oil and gas companies, investment banks, hedge funds, and utilities.

Mike has also served as an executive-level consultant serving numerous industries, such as oil and gas, precious metals, power, environmental, agriculture, and equities for the past 15 years. He has industry experience as a Chief Risk Officer, global commodity head, head trader, head of marketing, physical asset manager, floor trader, hedge fund manager, and trading compliance professional.

Mike regularly advises, consults, and serves as a damages and SME testifying expert on varying valuation, contractual, market, transactional, and trading issues. He has worked on matters involving numerous regulatory bodies (CFTC, FERC, FINRA, SEC) as well as served as a subject matter and testifying expert in MDLs, class actions, regulatory matters, white collar crime, and civil matters. He has testified in multiple dispute resolution forums and government regulatory venues.

According to James. L Kopecky of Kopecky Schumacher Rosenburg, LLC, “Mike was retained on behalf of respondents in a FINRA Arbitration in where there were Claimants assertions of gross negligence in the trading and management of equity and equity options accounts. Claimants asserted that respondent entered into high-risk options positions, borrowed on margin to fund the positions, and failed to manage the positions causing approximately $5,000,000 in damages. Mike analyzed the trading and broke down the positions, margin borrowing, and management in such a manner that demonstrated for the Panel the reasonableness of the Respondent’s action despite the significant losses. Mike persuaded the Panel the management of the accounts in question was within the expected standard of securities trading. Claimants claims were denied in their entirety.”