Ira D. Hammerman has been Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association since June 2004. Prior to joining SIFMA, Mr. Hammerman was a partner of Clifford Chance US LLP, the global law firm, where he specialized in securities regulatory and enforcement matters. His practice focused on US securities regulation of US and foreign financial institutions, including broker-dealers, investment advisers, banks and investment companies. A substantial part of his practice included representation of financial institutions with respect to trading, compliance and enforcement matters. Mr. Hammerman has over twenty-five years of experience representing the financial services industry on a wide variety of matters before the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, NYSE Regulation, Inc. and state regulatory authorities. In addition, Mr. Hammerman has represented public companies with respect to general corporate law, securities and transactional matters. Mr. Hammerman received his law degree in 1985 from Georgetown University Law Center and his bachelor's degree in 1982 from Emory University (BA, Phi Beta Kappa). He is a member of the District of Columbia and New York Bars.