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Latham “boasts an impressive spread of FinTech capabilities across the globe, with particular strongholds in Western Europe, Asia and the US. Its market-leading expertise in banking and finance, corporate M&A and IP places the firm at the forefront of developments in disruptive technologies, particularly in distributed ledger technology and the development of related products.”

– Chambers FinTech Legal Global 2020

Tokenization and Blockchain Technology

Latham helps key market participants address a myriad of legal issues surrounding cryptocurrency and the application of distributed ledger technology. The firm provides sophisticated regulatory, enforcement, finance, corporate, tax, and intellectual property counsel to support innovation in highly regulated industries.

Blockchain background
A Global, Integrated Network

Latham, named Band 1 for FinTech by Chambers USA, regularly serves emerging and blockchain-enabled technology companies, investors, crypto exchanges, broker-dealers, and leading global financial institutions that are revolutionizing the delivery of financial services. Latham provides advice across practice areas and jurisdictions, drawing on the team’s cutting-edge technical knowledge of the varied disruptive technologies that underpin the industry, including on:

  • Commodities/securities law
  • Corporate finance — e.g., angel financings, venture capital financings, prefunctional token sale financings, private equity financings, bridge loans, mezzanine financings
  • Initial coin offerings (ICOs)
  • Intellectual property
  • Investigations and enforcement
  • Payments — regulatory, transactional, and general corporate matters related to traditional and emerging payment technologies, money transmission, digital and virtual currencies, electronic and mobile payments, stored value, payment instruments, credit products, and e-commerce
  • Regulatory and compliance
  • Tax
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Task Force

A dedicated global team of more than 80 lawyers focuses on tracking and analyzing developments affecting the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, spanning multiple practice areas within the firm.

The Latham team includes former enforcement supervisors and prosecutors from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, US Securities and Exchange Commission, UK Serious Fraud Office, UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Securities & Commodities Fraud Task Force of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, as well as former senior US Department of Justice officials.

A Ledger of Pioneering Results

Latham lawyers have advised clients on cutting-edge mandates globally including:

  • Guiding one of the world’s leading blockchain technology companies through cross-border legal and regulatory challenges as it establishes venture capital, asset management, and token advisory services, places venture investments, acquires firms, and develops numerous “spoke” projects. This work covers financial regulatory, tax, and fund issues, in jurisdictions throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the US.
  • Representing token trading platforms and ICO issuers facing SEC investigations.
  • Advising several of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges on global regulatory issues.
Recent Experience
  • Serving as regulatory counsel to AirSwap, a decentralized cryptocurrency trading network for Ethereum-based tokens
  • Serving as regulatory and transactional counsel to Axoni in connection with post-trade credit default swaps (CDS) processing with IBM for the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), as well as in connection with Axoni’s Series A preferred stock financing
  • Advising leading US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase on regulatory matters
  • Advising ConsenSys in the formation of its venture capital and advisory businesses, as well as the development of a number of its “spoke” businesses and other projects relating to the Ethereum platform, including the Tachyon Accelerator
  • Advising ConsenSys on its joint venture with CapBridge to create the 1x Exchange, a platform for trading tokenized securities, in Singapore
  • Representing HybridBlock in the establishment of a global digital assets exchange and digital assets brokerage in Malta, and on the establishment of an OTC digital assets trading platform in Singapore
  • Advising OTC Exchange Network, a developer of blockchain-based trading solutions for digital assets, in connection with transactional and regulatory matters
  • Representing a range of cryptocurrency clients in confidential investigations involving the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning various aspects of the rapidly developing cryptocurrency market
  • Advising on numerous initial coin offerings (ICOs) around the world, including:
    • Atlas
    • Blockhub
    • BLOCKv
    • Celsius
    • ExCoin
    • Fysical
    • Genergy
    • HybridBlock
    • JAAK
    • Lisk
    • NonZero
    • UChain
 
 
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