General Counsel, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commissioin
Tyler Badgley is the General Counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In that role, Mr. Badgley leads the agency’s Legal Division and serves as the Commission’s chief legal advisor. He was appointed General Counsel in January 2026.
Prior to joining the CFTC, Mr. Badgley served as the Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was the first Executive Secretary under Secretary Scott K.H. Bessent. Mr. Badgley was previously a Senior Counsel at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, the litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There, he focused on complex litigation and regulatory issues, particularly in connection with capital markets.
Mr. Badgley also practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, served as a Special Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Badgley graduated Order of the Coif from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Virginia Law Review. He also received his undergraduate degree in Economics and Government from the University of Virginia.
Partner, Lewis Brisbois
Sarah E. Lang is a partner in the New York office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Appellate Practice. Ms. Lang has represented clients at all levels of state and federal courts, including the New York State Appellate Division, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The primary focus of her practice is drafting and arguing substantive motions and appeals before the federal courts and New York’s trial and appellate courts in substantive areas including general liability, New York Labor Law, medical malpractice, premises liability, and rideshare and transportation matters, among others. She also has extensive experience representing clients, including religious institutions, in matters arising under Title VII, the First Amendment, RLUIPA, New York’s City and State Human Rights Laws, New York’s Religious Corporations Law, and New York’s Real Property Tax Law. This includes federal jury trial experience and providing preventive advice and counseling. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Lang clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. She also previously served as an Attorney Advisor for the United States Department of Education.
President, Harned Strategies LLC
Karen Harned is President at Harned Strategies LLC. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, a post she held from 2002-2022. Prior to joining the Legal Center, Ms. Harned was an attorney at a Washington, D.C. law firm specializing in food and drug law, where she represented several small and large businesses and their respective trade associations before Congress and federal agencies. She also served as Assistant Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Don Nickles of Oklahoma from August of 1989 to March of 1993. Ms. Harned received her B.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 1989 and her J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center in 1995. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
As Executive Director of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center, Ms. Harned commented regularly on small business cases before federal and state courts, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. She has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, NBC Nightly News, CNN, CNBC and MSNBC, as well as National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and radio outlets across the country. Her opinion editorials and articles regarding healthcare, lawsuit abuse, regulation, and other issues important to small business have been published in newspapers and other publications nationwide.
Ms. Harned has testified before Congress on the small business impact of regulation and the civil justice system. Additionally, she has conducted numerous webinars and legal compliance seminars for small business owners across the country on issues relating to employment law, including unionization and immigration.
President, Center for Constitutional Litigation
Robert S. Peck, founder and president of CCL, is a sought-after appellate litigator within the plaintiffs’ bar. He is credited with having developed groundbreaking constitutional challenges to laws impeding access to courts. He regularly appears before the U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme courts, litigating cases on the merits as well as at the petition stage. Bob’s diverse practice includes state and federal constitutional law, complex civil litigation, federal preemption, personal jurisdiction, punitive damages, products liability, mass torts, consumer protection, and Section 1983 cases.
Bob has taught advanced constitutional law and state constitutional law at The George Washington University Law School and American University Washington College of Law as a member of the adjunct faculty. He is a past chair of the Board of Advisors of the RAND Corporation’s Institute for Civil Justice; past member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts; a member of the advisory committee of the Civil Justice Research Institute at the University of California, Berkeley; and a Leaders Forum member of the American Association for Justice. Bob is a past president of the U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Alumni Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, and a past national chair of Lawyers for Libraries. He has received the prestigious AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell for both legal ability and ethical standards.
Of Counsel, Kellogg Hansen
Collin White litigates high-stakes cases in trial and appellate courts across the country. Since he joined the firm in 2015, he has represented clients from a wide range of industries in cases about antitrust, intellectual property, securities, telecommunications, and administrative and constitutional law. He also advises clients on antitrust and regulatory matters.
Collin regularly represents both plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust cases. He has represented plaintiffs in a conspiracy case about software for auto dealers, In re Dealer Management Systems Antitrust Litig., MDL No. 2817 (N.D. Ill.), and a landmark monopolization case about spot cable advertising, Viamedia Inc. v. Comcast Corp., No. 16-cv-05486 (N.D. Ill.). He has represented defendants in the Supreme Court’s leading modern Rule of Reason decision, Ohio v. American Express Co., 138 S. Ct. 2274 (2018); a price-discrimination case about a well-known energy shot, U.S. Wholesale Outlet & Distribution, Inc. v. Innovation Ventures, LLC, 89 F.4th 1126 (9th Cir. 2023) (cert. petition filed Apr. 12, 2024); the FTC’s attempt to block Meta’s acquisition of Within, a virtual reality application developer, FTC v. Meta Platforms Inc., No. No. 5:22-cv-04325-EJD (N.D. Cal.); and the FTC’s ongoing monopolization action in FTC v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 20-3590 (D.D.C.).
Collin also regularly represents clients in appeals. For example, he has helped secure victories for telecommunications clients (in Greenlining Institute v. FCC, No. 17-73283 (9th Cir. 2020), and Bellsouth Telecommunications LLC v. Cobb County, No. S17G2011 (Ga. 2019)); a software company (in Intellisoft, Ltd. v. Acer Am. Corp., 955 F.3d 927 (Fed. Cir. 2020)); and an individual injured by a medical device (in In re Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation, 969 F.3d 1067 (9th Cir. 2020)).
Attorney, Institute for Justice
Anya Bidwell (née Cherkasova) leads IJ’s Project on Immunity and Accountability (“PIA”). Through this project, Anya works to promote judicial engagement and ensure that government officials are held to account when they violate individuals’ constitutional rights. Anya also serves as an adviser on the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Constitutional Torts project.
One of Anya’s PIA cases—Gonzalez v. Trevino—was heard by the United States Supreme Court on March 20, 2024. She argued the case for the petitioner, with the goal of convincing the Justices that retaliatory arrests not involving on-the-spot decisions by police officers should be actionable under the First Amendment regardless of probable cause. The decision is expected in June.
This was Anya’s third appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court. She second-chaired Brownback v. King (an excessive force case) and Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas (a commerce clause case) in November 2020 and January 2019 respectfully.
Before joining IJ, Anya worked for a top national law firm, handling cases in trial and appellate courts. She earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas. Two years prior to entering law school, Anya received a master’s degree in Global Policy Studies, also from the University of Texas, and wrote a thesis on asymmetric warfare.
Anya spent her childhood in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. At 16, she left her family behind and came to America on a university scholarship. Her upbringing motivated her to study law and become an advocate for a strong, independent judiciary.
Anya’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Guardian. She is also the host of live recordings of our Short Circuit podcast and a co-producer of our documentary-style podcast Bound by Oath.
Attorney, Institute for Justice
Anya Bidwell (née Cherkasova) leads IJ’s Project on Immunity and Accountability (“PIA”). Through this project, Anya works to promote judicial engagement and ensure that government officials are held to account when they violate individuals’ constitutional rights. Anya also serves as an adviser on the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Constitutional Torts project.
One of Anya’s PIA cases—Gonzalez v. Trevino—was heard by the United States Supreme Court on March 20, 2024. She argued the case for the petitioner, with the goal of convincing the Justices that retaliatory arrests not involving on-the-spot decisions by police officers should be actionable under the First Amendment regardless of probable cause. The decision is expected in June.
This was Anya’s third appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court. She second-chaired Brownback v. King (an excessive force case) and Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas (a commerce clause case) in November 2020 and January 2019 respectfully.
Before joining IJ, Anya worked for a top national law firm, handling cases in trial and appellate courts. She earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas. Two years prior to entering law school, Anya received a master’s degree in Global Policy Studies, also from the University of Texas, and wrote a thesis on asymmetric warfare.
Anya spent her childhood in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. At 16, she left her family behind and came to America on a university scholarship. Her upbringing motivated her to study law and become an advocate for a strong, independent judiciary.
Anya’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Guardian. She is also the host of live recordings of our Short Circuit podcast and a co-producer of our documentary-style podcast Bound by Oath.
Partner, Boyden Gray PLLC
Michael Buschbacher is a partner at Boyden Gray PLLC. He represents public and private companies, trade associations, non-profits, and individuals in high-stakes litigation and administrative proceedings, with a particular focus on environmental and energy matters.
In addition to trial-level work, Mr. Buschbacher maintains an active appellate practice, both as merits counsel and as counsel for amici curiae. He has written amicus briefs quoted by the Seventh and Ninth Circuits. And his Supreme Court advocacy has been cited by The New Yorker, The New York Times, and E&E News. Mr. Buschbacher’s commentary on legal issues has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and The American Conservative.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Buschbacher served at the U.S. Department of Justice as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. There, he advised senior Department leadership, served as the lead attorney on several lawsuits, and helped draft policy memoranda for the Department on the proper scope and procedure for environmental enforcement. Prior to serving in the government, Mr. Buschbacher was an associate in the D.C. office of Sidley Austin.
Mr. Buschbacher is a former clerk to Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and to Magistrate Judge Paul R. Cherry of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Mr. Buschbacher holds a B.A. in Music and Germanic Studies from Indiana University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.
Attorney, Separation of Powers, Pacific Legal Foundation
Josh Robbins is an attorney in Pacific Legal Foundation’s separation of powers group. He litigates cases to defend the structural protections of the U.S. and state constitutions that guarantee liberty for all Americans. He wants to help ensure Americans receive due process from the government when their lives and property are at stake and that the laws are made by our democratically elected representatives and not by unaccountable bureaucrats.
As an attorney in private practice, Josh saw firsthand how the government can embroil people (and even large corporations) in years-long legal battles. At PLF, he works to provide those without great resources an opportunity to vindicate their right to a properly ordered government, which is the right of all Americans.
Prior to joining PLF, Josh was an associate at a large law firm where he litigated cases in federal and state courts. He clerked for the Honorable Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston.
Josh earned a B.A. in economics and international studies from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. While at UVA, he served as an articles editor for the Virginia Law Review. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and enjoys hiking, swimming, and attending Washington Nationals games.
Josh is a member of the bar only in the states of Virginia and D.C.
Lecturer in Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Matthew Lee Wiener served until recently as the twice-presidentially appointed Acting Chair and Vice Chair of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), as well as a member of its Council and its Executive Director. (In 2016, President Obama nominated him to be ACUS’s Chairman.)
He is now a special counsel to ACUS, co-chair of its Council on Federal Administrative Adjudication, and a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he teaches Administrative Law.
Before affiliating with ACUS, Mr. Wiener was general counsel to U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (Senate Committee on the Judiciary), counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, a partner at Dechert LLP, and special counsel to Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca.
He has taught courses on administrative law, administrative practice, regulation remedies, statutory interpretation, and separation of powers at the law schools of the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, and George Mason University.
Mr. Wiener is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and co-chair of the Adjudication Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.
Mr. Wiener holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he was Articles Editor of the Stanford Law Review, and an A.B. from William and Mary.
General Counsel, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commissioin
Tyler Badgley is the General Counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In that role, Mr. Badgley leads the agency’s Legal Division and serves as the Commission’s chief legal advisor. He was appointed General Counsel in January 2026.
Prior to joining the CFTC, Mr. Badgley served as the Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was the first Executive Secretary under Secretary Scott K.H. Bessent. Mr. Badgley was previously a Senior Counsel at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, the litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There, he focused on complex litigation and regulatory issues, particularly in connection with capital markets.
Mr. Badgley also practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, served as a Special Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Badgley graduated Order of the Coif from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Virginia Law Review. He also received his undergraduate degree in Economics and Government from the University of Virginia.
President, Harned Strategies LLC
Karen Harned is President at Harned Strategies LLC. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, a post she held from 2002-2022. Prior to joining the Legal Center, Ms. Harned was an attorney at a Washington, D.C. law firm specializing in food and drug law, where she represented several small and large businesses and their respective trade associations before Congress and federal agencies. She also served as Assistant Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Don Nickles of Oklahoma from August of 1989 to March of 1993. Ms. Harned received her B.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 1989 and her J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center in 1995. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
As Executive Director of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center, Ms. Harned commented regularly on small business cases before federal and state courts, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. She has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, NBC Nightly News, CNN, CNBC and MSNBC, as well as National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and radio outlets across the country. Her opinion editorials and articles regarding healthcare, lawsuit abuse, regulation, and other issues important to small business have been published in newspapers and other publications nationwide.
Ms. Harned has testified before Congress on the small business impact of regulation and the civil justice system. Additionally, she has conducted numerous webinars and legal compliance seminars for small business owners across the country on issues relating to employment law, including unionization and immigration.
Partner, Lewis Brisbois
Sarah E. Lang is a partner in the New York office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Appellate Practice. Ms. Lang has represented clients at all levels of state and federal courts, including the New York State Appellate Division, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The primary focus of her practice is drafting and arguing substantive motions and appeals before the federal courts and New York’s trial and appellate courts in substantive areas including general liability, New York Labor Law, medical malpractice, premises liability, and rideshare and transportation matters, among others. She also has extensive experience representing clients, including religious institutions, in matters arising under Title VII, the First Amendment, RLUIPA, New York’s City and State Human Rights Laws, New York’s Religious Corporations Law, and New York’s Real Property Tax Law. This includes federal jury trial experience and providing preventive advice and counseling. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Lang clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. She also previously served as an Attorney Advisor for the United States Department of Education.
President, Center for Constitutional Litigation
Robert S. Peck, founder and president of CCL, is a sought-after appellate litigator within the plaintiffs’ bar. He is credited with having developed groundbreaking constitutional challenges to laws impeding access to courts. He regularly appears before the U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme courts, litigating cases on the merits as well as at the petition stage. Bob’s diverse practice includes state and federal constitutional law, complex civil litigation, federal preemption, personal jurisdiction, punitive damages, products liability, mass torts, consumer protection, and Section 1983 cases.
Bob has taught advanced constitutional law and state constitutional law at The George Washington University Law School and American University Washington College of Law as a member of the adjunct faculty. He is a past chair of the Board of Advisors of the RAND Corporation’s Institute for Civil Justice; past member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts; a member of the advisory committee of the Civil Justice Research Institute at the University of California, Berkeley; and a Leaders Forum member of the American Association for Justice. Bob is a past president of the U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Alumni Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, and a past national chair of Lawyers for Libraries. He has received the prestigious AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell for both legal ability and ethical standards.
Of Counsel, Kellogg Hansen
Collin White litigates high-stakes cases in trial and appellate courts across the country. Since he joined the firm in 2015, he has represented clients from a wide range of industries in cases about antitrust, intellectual property, securities, telecommunications, and administrative and constitutional law. He also advises clients on antitrust and regulatory matters.
Collin regularly represents both plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust cases. He has represented plaintiffs in a conspiracy case about software for auto dealers, In re Dealer Management Systems Antitrust Litig., MDL No. 2817 (N.D. Ill.), and a landmark monopolization case about spot cable advertising, Viamedia Inc. v. Comcast Corp., No. 16-cv-05486 (N.D. Ill.). He has represented defendants in the Supreme Court’s leading modern Rule of Reason decision, Ohio v. American Express Co., 138 S. Ct. 2274 (2018); a price-discrimination case about a well-known energy shot, U.S. Wholesale Outlet & Distribution, Inc. v. Innovation Ventures, LLC, 89 F.4th 1126 (9th Cir. 2023) (cert. petition filed Apr. 12, 2024); the FTC’s attempt to block Meta’s acquisition of Within, a virtual reality application developer, FTC v. Meta Platforms Inc., No. No. 5:22-cv-04325-EJD (N.D. Cal.); and the FTC’s ongoing monopolization action in FTC v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 20-3590 (D.D.C.).
Collin also regularly represents clients in appeals. For example, he has helped secure victories for telecommunications clients (in Greenlining Institute v. FCC, No. 17-73283 (9th Cir. 2020), and Bellsouth Telecommunications LLC v. Cobb County, No. S17G2011 (Ga. 2019)); a software company (in Intellisoft, Ltd. v. Acer Am. Corp., 955 F.3d 927 (Fed. Cir. 2020)); and an individual injured by a medical device (in In re Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation, 969 F.3d 1067 (9th Cir. 2020)).
Attorney, Institute for Justice
Anya Bidwell (née Cherkasova) leads IJ’s Project on Immunity and Accountability (“PIA”). Through this project, Anya works to promote judicial engagement and ensure that government officials are held to account when they violate individuals’ constitutional rights. Anya also serves as an adviser on the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Constitutional Torts project.
One of Anya’s PIA cases—Gonzalez v. Trevino—was heard by the United States Supreme Court on March 20, 2024. She argued the case for the petitioner, with the goal of convincing the Justices that retaliatory arrests not involving on-the-spot decisions by police officers should be actionable under the First Amendment regardless of probable cause. The decision is expected in June.
This was Anya’s third appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court. She second-chaired Brownback v. King (an excessive force case) and Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas (a commerce clause case) in November 2020 and January 2019 respectfully.
Before joining IJ, Anya worked for a top national law firm, handling cases in trial and appellate courts. She earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas. Two years prior to entering law school, Anya received a master’s degree in Global Policy Studies, also from the University of Texas, and wrote a thesis on asymmetric warfare.
Anya spent her childhood in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. At 16, she left her family behind and came to America on a university scholarship. Her upbringing motivated her to study law and become an advocate for a strong, independent judiciary.
Anya’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Guardian. She is also the host of live recordings of our Short Circuit podcast and a co-producer of our documentary-style podcast Bound by Oath.
A Seat at the Sitting - November 2024
Tyler S. Badgley, Sarah E. Lang, Karen Harned, Robert S. Peck, Collin R. White
Each month, a panel of constitutional experts convenes to discuss the Court’s upcoming docket sitting...
A Seat at the Sitting - November 2024
The November Docket in 90 Minutes or Less
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Washington, DCThe Supreme Court’s Three Cheers for Free Speech
Anya Bidwell
The Supreme Court has recently issued rulings in three cases involving speech-based arrests, demonstrating increased...
The Supreme Court’s Three Cheers for Free Speech
Anya Bidwell
The Supreme Court has recently issued rulings in three cases involving speech-based arrests, demonstrating increased...
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A Debate on Separation of Powers: Was SEC v. Jarkesy Rightly Decided?
Michael Buschbacher, Josh Robbins, Matthew Lee Wiener
The Regulatory Transparency Project and the Federalism & Separation of Powers practice group hosted a...