Adam Wallace Glass was born in 1954 in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Edgemont, New York. He was valedictorian of Edgemont High School’s class of 1972. Glass maintained strong connections with New York and Washington, D.C., while his professional work took him into private legal practice, international financial law, and federal securities regulation.
Glass graduated from Edgemont High School in 1972 and received an A.B. in Economics from Harvard College in 1978, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1981, served on the Stanford Law Review, and was its editor-in-chief during 1980–1981. He was also a member of the Order of the Coif. In retirement, he matriculated in a journalism master’s program at the University of Maryland.
Glass began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Joseph T. Sneed of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1981 to 1982. He was admitted to the California bar in 1983 and later to the New York and Connecticut bars in 1991. He subsequently practiced in New York as a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Sidley Austin, and Linklaters. At Linklaters, he became co-head of the Structured Finance and Derivatives practice, advising on structured finance, credit and equity derivatives, structured notes, and related financial-market matters. His published work addressed municipal derivative products, securities regulation, and the legal infrastructure of derivatives markets. In 2009 he joined the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he served as Chief Counsel in the Division of Risk, Strategy and Financial Innovation and worked on issues including over-the-counter derivatives regulation, central-counterparty clearing, trading transparency, data collection, legal-entity identifiers, and financial-market data. He retired from the SEC in 2013. Afterward, he worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Data Transparency Coalition and remained engaged in public-policy and civic matters.
He campaigned for Kentucky Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes after retiring from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Glass supported environmental preservation and civic projects connected with sustainability, including the initiation of a solar-energy project at the Kenwood Condominium. His post-government work also reflected an interest in public transparency and the responsible use of financial and governmental data.
Glass was a member of the American Bar Association and participated in its structured-finance and asset-securitization work. His professional associations also included the Stanford Law Review, where he served as a member and later as editor-in-chief. Outside his legal work, he was a member of the Severn Sailing Association and served on the board of the Kenwood Condominium.
Participated in structured-finance and asset-securitization work, including the Structured Finance Task Force and Asset Securitization Subcommittee.
American Bar Association , United States
Member during 1979–1980 and editor-in-chief during 1980–1981.
Stanford Law Review , United States
1979 - 1981
Member.
Severn Sailing Association , United States
Board member who initiated a solar-energy project.
Kenwood Condominium Board , United States
Glass was described by family members and professional colleagues as kind, warm, intellectually quick, and capable of deep thought. He was noted for a whimsical sense of humor, a strong interest in books, and an ability to write with his readers in mind. Colleagues remembered him as an accomplished lawyer who treated assistants, associates, and other professional contacts with genuine warmth.
Quotes from others about the person
Professional colleagues remembered Glass as a brilliant structured-finance and derivatives lawyer whose technical ability was accompanied by humor, kindness, and generosity toward those who worked with him.
Glass was married to Debra Lynn Glass and was the father of Kelsey Glass-Johnston and Laura Glass-Johnston. He also had two stepdaughters, Abigail Davidow and Molly Davidow. His family included his mother, Ann Murkland Glass, and siblings Martha Sullivan, Elizabeth Poyet, and Daniel Glass.
Mother of Adam Glass.
Wife of Adam Glass.
Daughter of Adam Glass.
Daughter of Adam Glass.
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for whom Glass served as a law clerk from 1981 to 1982.
