Perkins Coie was here when it all began, at the forefront of advising clients on tokenization and bitcoin.

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Overview

Perkins Coie was here when it all began, at the forefront of advising clients on tokenization and bitcoin.

We have since expanded to the world’s largest and leading Blockchain, Digital Assets & Custody industry group, helping our clients pioneer the vast and diverse uses of blockchain technology.


Insights & Resources

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Group Publications

 

Blogs; Asset Management ADVocateVirtual Currency Report The Fintech Report

 

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Blockchain, Digital Assets & Custody Video Presentations and Panels

 

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Additional Resources

We have since expanded to the world’s largest and leading Blockchain, Digital Assets & Custody industry group, helping our clients pioneer the vast and diverse uses of blockchain technology.

Capabilities

Product Counsel

  • Consumer Protection
  • Patent Portfolio Management
  • Open Source IP Counseling
  • Product Launch
  • Token Vetting
  • Tax, Benefits and Compensation
  • Investment Management
 

Regulatory Compliance

  • Institutional Cryptocurrency and Bitlicensing
  • Digital Asset Custody
  • Digital Asset Trading Platforms (Exchanges)
  • Tokenization
  • Broker-Dealer
  • Commodities and Derivatives
  • Digital Asset Fund Formation
     

Litigation and Enforcement

  • Risk Management
  • Federal and State Investigations
  • Anti-Money Laundering
  • Cybersecurity
  • Securities Litigation
  • Trademark Enforcement and Litigation
 

Transactional Support

  • Business Operations and Corporate Formation
  • Commercial and Intellectual Property Matters
  • Contract Development and Negotiation
  • Consortium Design and Implementation
  • Not-for-Profit Formation
  • Tax and Benefits

Group Initiatives

Blockchain: Powered by Diversity

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A Leader, Not a Follower

Established in May 2013, the Blockchain, Digital Assets & Custody industry group represents an evolution of legal services rather than a genesis. As part of the greater Electronic Financial Services group, Perkins Coie has a long history representing technology companies that provide consumer and financial services, including mobile payment providers, tokenized in-game assets, e-commerce companies and marketplace payment service providers. When the first Bitcoin and other decentralized virtual currency companies emerged, Perkins Coie was uniquely situated to launch an industry group focused specifically on blockchain technology and digital currency. Now, the group has over 40 lawyers who have helped more than 200 clients reconcile complex regulatory compliance questions, assess intellectual property opportunities, negotiate with regulators and educate the greater population about the promises of blockchain technology.

Shaping The Industry

Members of our team frequently interact with lawmakers at the state and federal level, including testifying before the United States House of Representatives and Canada’s Senate Committee of Banking, Trade and Commerce, on the future of virtual currency and blockchain regulation. We train state bank examiners on blockchain related compliance issues through the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and have participated as advisors to the Uniform Law Commission Study Committee in its drafting of a model Regulation of Virtual Currency Businesses Act. We serve as institutional members of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s leading trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry, and are founding participants in many of the Chamber’s initiatives, including: the Digital Assets Accounting Consortium, a resource for companies with operations involving digital assets, such as bitcoin; the Smart Contracts Alliance, an authoritative resource for smart contracts helping shape how smart contracts are understood, developed and adopted; the State Working Group, focused on tracking and influencing the various state regulatory and legal approaches to digital currency and blockchain technology; and the DC Blockchain Center, a strategic partnership between the Chamber and global technology incubator 1776. Three of our lawyers are also members of the Digital Currency & Ledger Defense Coalition, a team of lawyers and academics founded to help protect individual constitutional rights and civil liberties in connection with regulatory and law enforcement scrutiny and efforts relating to digital currencies (e.g., bitcoin) and ledgers (e.g., blockchains).

A Legal Partner in Innovation

Our multidisciplinary group is on the front lines, helping clients address the complex legal issues faced by Bitcoin and other virtual currency businesses and partnering with those who are pioneering new blockchain and other distributed ledger solutions to many of today’s market challenges. We provide regulatory compliance counseling, litigation support, consumer protection counseling and business transaction assistance for a range of bitcoin and digital currency systems, services and products. Our clients include virtual currency exchanges, both large and small blockchain innovators, payment processors, investors and industry associations.

We counsel virtual currency industry clients with respect to various regulatory issues, including compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act, FinCEN regulations, and securities and commodities laws and regulations. We help draft anti-money laundering policies and organize internal policies and practices for compliance. We also assist clients in the face of inquiries and investigations by federal and state law enforcement and regulatory agencies. Our experienced investigations and white collar defense team regularly defend corporate clients and individuals against criminal and civil allegations of fraud, money laundering and other misconduct. Our defense practice includes particular experience in defending clients and property against government asset seizures and forfeitures.

Experience

News

Insights