Thesis title

Legal Issues in the regulation and adjudication of OTC Derivatives [provisional]

Supervisors 

Dr Joanna Braithwaite and Professor David Kershaw 

Research Interests

Financial law, regulation, trading of financial instruments, EMIR, MIFID, Dodd Frank, G20 reforms and dispute resolution.  

Omotola Ariyo is a PhD Candidate in law. He holds an LLB and LLM in Law from the LSE. His research interests are in the interaction between law and financial markets, with a focus on OTC derivatives and structured products. This explores the creation of policy, resolution of disputes and the impact of significant legal developments on financial markets.  

Prior to joining the LSE, Omotola worked as an Associate in the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities division at Morgan Stanley and as an Analyst in the Legal Department at Goldman Sachs. He has advised business teams on the negotiation, risk management and execution of OTC derivatives and structured product transactions, with asset managers, government bodies, investment firms and corporations. 

Omotola has held a number of research positions. First, as Research Assistant for PRIME Finance Foundation, a global institution comprised of experts in law and finance, established to assist judicial systems in the resolution of complex financial disputes. Secondly, working with the UK Financial Markets Law Committee at the Bank of England, on projects focused on the sound administration of financial law. Finally, Omotola has contributed to the publication of a leading text in the area of financial law (Derivatives: Law and Practice by Sweet & Maxwell) through his previous position as Research Assistant to a Partner at Linklaters LLP.  He was responsible for reviewing the rules of the London Metal Exchange and with respect to the trading of soft commodities, the rules of Euronext, ICE Continental and the London Stock Exchange. 

Affiliations / Memberships: 

Secretary, American Bar Association: Taskforce on Financial Engineering for Economic Development (FEED).  

Board Member and Governor, Haringey Sixth Form College, Member of Audit Committee. 

Board Member and Vice President, Lawyers for Economic Development (Lex:Lead), Member of Compliance Committee.  

Member, Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. 

Awards / Scholarships: 

LSE PhD Studentship (2020 – 2024) 

Laura Devine Prize for Best Performance in Human Rights Law (2018)