Jeffrey L. Robins is a corporate partner and a member of the Banking Group. His practice focuses on representing broker-dealers, swap dealers, banks, securities exchanges, industry associations and buy-side institutions in regulatory and transactional matters.

Throughout his career, Mr. Robins has carved out a reputation as a leading broker-dealer and derivatives lawyer with a sophisticated practice. Recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global (2026) and IFLR1000 (2025), a top-tier lawyer by Chambers USA (2026) and recommended by The Legal 500 US (2026), he is noted for his regulatory and transactional skills. Clients say that he has “a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise in the area” and is “responsive, dependable” and brings “a calm, steady presence even when navigating complex or time-sensitive issues.” Chambers Global also describes him as “a strong, smart and thoughtful lawyer.” He has substantial experience helping clients navigate registration, margin, capital, custody and sales and trading issues, cross-border transactions, structuring transactions using multiple regulated entities, the development of compliance and supervisory policies and procedures, the regulatory characterization of securities and derivatives transactions, and a broad range of other regulatory issues. He also has extensive transactional experience in bilateral financing and derivatives transactions, particularly those that are heavily regulated. In addition, Mr. Robins is ranked by Chambers in both the broker-dealer regulation and derivatives categories.

Mr. Robins joined Debevoise in 2018. Prior to joining Debevoise, Mr. Robins was a partner at an international law firm, where he also served as co-chair of the firm’s Financial Services Group.

Mr. Robins received his J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and earned an M.A. in Russian and East European Studies and a B.A. with distinction from Stanford University. He also served as a clerk for the Hon. Cynthia Holcomb Hall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Education

  • Harvard Law School, 2001, J.D.
  • Stanford University, 1989, B.A.
  • Stanford University, 1989, M.A.

Bar Admissions

  • New York