Former SEC Senior Special Counsel Harry Eisenstein Joins Carlton Fields’ Financial Services Regulatory Practice

WASHINGTON, DC – Harry Eisenstein has joined Carlton Fields’ national Financial Services Regulatory Practice as a shareholder in its Washington, D.C., office. He was most recently senior special counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Division of Investment Management.

Eisenstein joins the firm after 25-plus years with the SEC, where he led the review team for both traditional and innovative annuity and life insurance investment products. Eisenstein is highly regarded as a subject matter expert on filings for, and interpretive questions related to, registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) and other complex securities products.

“Harry has been at the forefront of RILAs since their introduction in 2010,” said Ann Began Furman, co-chair of the firm’s Financial Services Regulatory Practice. “His deep involvement in shaping the way the industry approaches these products provides an invaluable perspective for our clients. To say he is an asset is an understatement.”

Added Richard Choi, Carlton Fields Washington, D.C., office managing shareholder, “Harry is a fabulous addition to our brain trust. His decades of experience at the SEC, deep knowledge of the industry, and orientation to developing smart and practical solutions will be beneficial to our clients. He’s a very talented person and super nice.”

Eisenstein’s notable contributions include spearheading the development of standardized disclosure comments for non-variable insurance products, training SEC staff on the mechanics of and legal issues arising from these products, and serving as the primary drafter of what are now standardized SEC letters allowing insurers to use statutory accounting principles in place of generally accepted accounting principles in preparing financials statements filed in registration statements for these products.

“I look forward to contributing my public-sector insights to the firm’s already stellar reputation in the industry, and to our clients,” said Eisenstein. “Regulatory challenges are always evolving, and a proactive approach to these challenges is crucial.”

Eisenstein earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, his MBA from the University of Chicago, and his B.S. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.