Prior to his retirement from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in 2024, Gary most recently served as Senior Counsel. Previously, he also chaired the firm’s Financial Markets and Regulatory practice group. During his time at Katten, he provided legal advice on matters involving derivatives, securities, cryptocurrencies, and evolving technologies. He was responsible for establishing the firm's digital assets practice in 2014.

Before joining Katten, Gary held leadership roles at Fimat (later renamed Newedge; a subsidiary of Société Générale), serving as Senior Managing Director and Global Group General Counsel, overseeing legal, compliance, and anti-money laundering functions globally. He began his financial services career at the CFTC, where he worked as a Senior Trial Attorney in the Division of Enforcement.

In addition to his legal practice, Gary taught derivatives regulation as an adjunct faculty member at Brooklyn Law School for most years from 1996 to 2006. He has also been a guest lecturer at various other law and business schools, including Cambridge and Columbia Universities and the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. DeWaal has received multiple recognitions for his work, including his induction into the Futures Industry Association’s Hall of Fame in 2023. Following his retirement, Gary continues to serve on various advisory boards, such as the Colorado Securities Board and the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Virtual Currency Advisory Board and to contribute to the industry through public speaking and consulting as well as business advisory work.