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Cyrus Amir-Mokri was confirmed by the Senate Monday as Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions and will be the department's point person on department policy on issues affecting depository institutions.

Cyrus Amir-Mokri succeeds Michael Barr, who left the post in January 2010.

The new Treasury official most recently served as senior counsel to the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where he also was the CFTC's deputy representative to the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Before that, he was a partner at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.His practice focused on complex securities and antitrust litigation.

He has also clerked for Judge Bruce Selya of in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner pointed to Amir-Mokri's involvement while at the CFTC in helping develop financial reforms. "He will be a valuable asset at Treasury as we continue the important work of implementing those critical reforms and as we move forward with other key initiatives that will help improve the strength and resiliency of the financial markets."

Amir-Mokri received a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago and an A.B. in biochemistry from Harvard College.