Fintech, Investor and Consumer Protection

Jeff Modisett has spent many decades in law and policy. He has held multiple and diverse institutional and elected positions in government and has deep experience in entrepreneurial work in the technology and legal spheres. He has an enormous network of expertise from politics, the private sector, and as founder of the world’s largest legal referral network. He is currently Lecturer-in-Law at UCLA Law School, specializing in government and state attorney general law.

As a federal prosecutor in the 1980s, Jeff prosecuted arms dealers and tax frauds. As the elected prosecutor for Indianapolis, he successfully prosecuted Mike Tyson for rape and initiated innovative anti-gang programs. As Indiana Attorney General, he was a member of the negotiating team that reached a $200B+ settlement with Big Tobacco, which called for historic changes in the way cigarettes are marketed in this country. In that capacity, his colleagues named him Chair of the Allocation Committee, charged with devising a formula for allocating billions of dollars to the states. In 1998 and 1999, Jeff helped lead the states’ effort to reform the sweepstakes industry to better protect consumers, especially the elderly.

In 1999 he was a member of the National Democratic Institute/President Jimmy Carter team overseeing national elections in Indonesia.

From May 2016 to 2020, Jeff was the CEO of Nextlaw Referral Network ("Network"). Founded and built from scratch by Jeff and his handpicked team, the Network is a sophisticated online platform that combines the power of the world’s largest law firm with over 720 top independent law firms in virtually every country around the world. It has been recognized as one of the world’s leading referral networks by multiple organizations.

Previously, Jeff served as Chief Legal Officer for LOYAL3, a financial services technology start-up based in San Francisco. There he played an integral part in helping to build the company from ten to nearly 200 employees. He worked closely with the SEC as the agency began to adapt some of its long-standing precedents to the Internet era. In 2011, Jeff joined Dentons LLP to co-found that firm's State Attorney General practice -- a job he held while at both LOYAL3 and Nextlaw.

In 2000, Jeff was the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. He simultaneously acted as Co-Chair

of TechNet, a Silicon Valley “grass-tops” organization focused on policy issues important to the New Economy.

In his private practice, Jeff has led or assisted in the resolution of numerous complex issues or litigation, with representative clients including Facebook, Oracle, Yahoo!, Airbnb, LegalZoom, Lyft, Microsoft, (PRODUCT)RED (where he also served as Trustee for Persuaders LLC, a nonprofit founded by Bono) and Publishers Clearing House (where he serves as Ombudsman for the attorney general multistate settlement). He also advises clients on corporate compliance and best practices.

Jeff has consistently been named one of Southern California’s Super Lawyers in Los Angeles and Law & Politics magazines. He was named one of the top 100 lawyers in Los Angeles in the Los Angeles Business Journal and was earlier voted one of the top lawyers in Indiana by the Indianapolis Monthly magazine. He has received commendations from the U.S. Customs Service. More recently, he has received Top Tier ratings from his students at UCLA Law School.

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