Kathleen Moriarty, ETF Industry's 'SPDR Woman,' Dies at 69

Reggie Browne, the co-global head of ETF trading and sales at GTS known as the Godfather of ETFs, called Moriarty “one of the ETF industry’s GOAT Super lawyers” in a LinkedIn post.

“She was at the helm of nearly every upward inflection point in ETF product innovations,” he wrote. “She was a super nice person with a warm heart and welcoming spirit.”

A Chicago native, Moriarty moved with her family to New York when she was 5 and lived in Manhattan for most of her life. She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, with a degree in psychology and art history, and earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame near South Bend, Indiana, where she met her husband, Robert John Keefe.

Prior to Chapman, Moriarty worked at law firms including Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP, according to her LinkedIn page.

It was during her time at Katten Muchin Rosenman that Moriarty represented Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss in their first attempt by a US applicant to register a Bitcoin ETF with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

While that endeavor was unsuccessful — U.S. regulators still have yet to approve a physically backed crypto ETF — Moriarty went on to represent companies using blockchain technology and other funds looking to invest in digital assets.

“I feel honored and blessed to have known and worked with Kathleen,” said Deborah Fuhr, co-founder of ETFGI, who served on the board of Women In ETFs with Moriarty. “She was involved in many new innovations. Always gave freely of her time. Was a nice, warm, friendly pioneer in the ETF industry. She will be missed.”

–With assistance from Christopher Condon.

(Photo: Bloomberg)