Expertise
Blockchain Technologies • Smart Contracts • DAOs • Digital Currencies • Distributed Identity • Decentralization • Internet Law • Privacy Law • Data Security Law • Intellectual Property Law • Copyright, Trade Secret, Patents • Civil Liberties • Litigation & Trials • Startups • Venture Capital •Multi-Jurisdictional Financial Regulations & Licensing • Multi-Jurisdictional AML Frameworks &Regulatory Compliance • Consumer Protection Law • Government Education and Advocacy • Corporate Law • Cross-Border Transactions •Global Restructuring • Fundraising • Multi-stakeholder Collaboration
Experience
CERSA/CNRS - Universite Paris II
Researcher
Paris
July 2015-Present
Researcher in the Internet & Society Research Center investigation the intersection of distributed architecture, governance, and public policy development
Seven Advisory
Founder & CEO
San Francisco & Paris
June 2014-Present
Represents and supports diverse public and private clients in blockchain development and strategies, global oversight mechanisms and public policy goals, drafting new regulations, licensing and compliance, advocacy, and strategic market development.
COALA & Blockchain Workshops
Founder, Board Director
San Francisco & Paris
Fall 2014-Present
Global, collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiative to bring clarity and reduce legal uncertainty in the field of blockchain technologies, smart contracts and decentralized autonomous organizations.
Designated as the UN Internet Governance Forum Dynamic Coalition on Blockchain Technologies - tasked with leading multi-stakeholder collaboration between academia, commerical entities, government stakeholders and civil society to craft policy for evolving blockchain technologies.
Designated as the W3C Cryptoequity Working Group.
COALA spearheads a groundbreaking series of workshops, conferences, and working groups with leading academic and research universities and subject matter experts within diverse sectors and disciplines, including lawyers, economists, designers, cryptographers, and protocol architects
Our group explores (1) application of existing legal and oversight regimes to financial applications of blockchain; (2) smart contracts or self-executing transactions and interactions between humans and machines or between multiple entities which are automatically enforced by the underlying code of the technology; and (3) decentralized autonomous organizations that offer new forms of participatory governance and economic activity
DATA (Digital Asset Transfer Authority)
Founder, Board Director, Secretariat
San Francisco, DC & London
July 2013-May 2015
501(c)(5) non-profit self-regulatory organization for digital currency companies composed of over 30 companies worldwide, including industry leaders.
Regulatory engagement, government advocacy, sound public policymaking, development of industry-wide best practices.
Played a key role in 2013 and 2014 to foster innovation-friendly jurisdictions with regard to blockchain technologies, notably in the UK, Luxembourg and Japan.
Kraken
Co-Founder, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer
San Francisco & London
April 2013-June 2014
Oversaw growth as a software company to Series A financing and into a globally respected financial institution. Kraken is currently ranked one of the top digital currency exchanges in the world.
As the first General Counsel in the Bitcoin ecosystem, pioneered the first bank-exchange agent partnership in the industry.
Legal – responsible for general corporate law, contracts, global restructuring, global financial regulations (BSA/AML/PSD/IF/FATF) licensing/compliance with focus on digital currency and financial services regulations in US, EU, Canada, and in Asia and Latin America, and jurisdiction-specific data privacy and consumer protection laws.
Government Advocacy - represented Kraken/industry in federal, state and foreign gov and regulatory agencies, obtained regulatory clearance letters and approvals, spearheaded precedent-setting legal and policy developments in the industry.
Global Compliance - developed and maintained a complex global AML program for digital currency exchange, including reiterative risk assessment, operationalized policies and controls, employee training, and recordkeeping and reporting with rapidly evolving legal landscape.
Business Development – responsible for strategic product development and deployment in light of evolving legal landscape, developed essential contacts in domestic and foreign governments and banks, secured all Kraken bank partnerships, authored all of Kraken’s key corporate materials, business pitches and presentations.
Kirkland & Ellis
Attorney
San Francisco
August 2011-April 2013
Client counseling on cutting-edge technology issues for some of the most significant technology companies of the last decade, including Apple, Samsung, and Cisco.
Representative cases include multibillion-dollar intellectual property litigation, trial advocacy, discovery and motion practice in federal, state and international courts.
Represented leading electronics company (respondent) in Section 337 investigation before the International Trade Commission. Daily tasks included discovery, meet and confers, motions to compel, and motions for summary determination, as well as preparation of expert reports. Core case responsibilities include discovery, domestic industry, and remedy and bond.
Represented suppliers and customers of Internet wireless products in complex multidistrict action concerning patents alleged to pertain to 802.11-standardized wireless technology consolidated in the Northern District of Illinois.
Defended leading designer and manufacturer of mobile phones, tablets, and digital music players against allegations of patent infringement involving wireless and Internet communication technologies in the Eastern District of Texas. Lead associate on the case up to trial. Core responsibilities included technical and damages reports, drafting discovery and motions, and preparation of primary fact witness for trial. Resulted in a favorable settlement during trial.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Attorney
San Francisco
May 2008-August 2011
Counseled start-ups in mobile, e-commerce and social networking space on privacy, consumer protection, and data security issues
Negotiated and drafted intellectual property agreements, terms & conditions, and privacy policies.
Conducted product, service and website reviews to assist in intellectual property protection, consumer protection issues, and compliance with EU and US federal and state laws.
Primary practice in copyright, patent, and trade secrets, including precedent-setting litigation in federal and state venues such as the landmark case of Google v. Viacom (Second Circuit).
Representative clients included Fortune 500 companies and emerging growth ventures across diverse technologies such as live chat products, GPS navigation systems, blade server technologies, and network security devices.
Sole junior associate on a core team of seven attorneys in two offices in a high-stakes, fast-paced patent infringement Section 337 investigation before the International Trade Commission, representing complainant, the U.S. market leader of GFCI products, against thirty foreign and domestic respondents. Daily responsibilities included drafting discovery and motions, conducting legal research, supervising junior associates and contract attorneys for complex doc review, and working directly with economic expert to prepare expert report. Hearing was held in July 2011 and team successfully obtained a rarely-granted general exclusion order.
Sole junior associate on a core team of three attorneys representing plaintiff in a patent infringement suit involving network security products in the Northern District of California. Handled day-to-day case management for first two months at the firm under supervision of partner-in-charge, drafted discovery and motions, and worked directly with technical expert. Defeated motion for summary judgment of invalidity in September 2010 and secured favorable settlement for $6 million in January 2011, a sum far exceeding defendant’s initial $100K offer.
Co-authored an article entitled “The Expanding Frontier of ITC Jurisdiction,” published in the Section 337 Reporter and selected for a “Best Article” award by the ITC Trial Lawyers Association.
Samuelson Law Technology & Public Policy Clinic
Supervised Advocate
Berkeley
January 2008-May 2009
Accepted into highly competitive IP law program at top 5th US law school for direct advocacy on cutting-edge issues in intellectual property law.
Drafted and filed amicus brief in the Federal Circuit on behalf of Consumers Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Public Knowledge, asking the court to revisit standards for patentable subject matter in the landmark patent case of In re Bilski, which eventually reached the Supreme Court of the United States.
Prepared, drafted and filed successful patent reexamination application in the USPTO for an Internet-based process patent.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Legal Intern
Berkeley, CA
August 2007 – May 2008
Participated in bi-monthly roundtable with tech industry partners and other allies (e.g., Google) to reach broad consensus on Internet- and privacy-related policy issues.
Drafted and filed amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of NASA scientists for a successful appeal in which the court ultimately found Fourth Amendment violations in exercise of the Patriot Act.
Drafted and filed amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit challenging illegal wiretapping under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Drafted a white paper on policy implications following the passage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), published on the EFF website as a critical public education piece.
Perkins Coie
Summer Associate
San Francisco
May 2007 – August 2007
Recipient of the 2007 Perkins Coie 1L Diversity Fellowship
Drafted and filed amicus brief regarding novel issues of e-discovery rules on behalf of TorrentSpy for an appeal before the Ninth Circuit resulting in precedent-setting ruling.
Education
J.D., Technology Law & Policy
UC Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall)
Recipient of the Graduate Diversity Fellowship (full academic scholarship)
Activities - Associate Editor, Berkeley Technology and Law Journal; Member, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
B.A., Intellectual & Cultural History
Brown University & University of Cambridge
Honors: Magna Cum Laude
Full academic scholarship
First Class marks
Best Thesis Prize from the Department of History - “Shostakovich and His Music: How We Read the "Multivalent Meaning of ‘Red Art’”
Professional Memberships & Associations
• American Bar Association
• San Francisco Bar Association
• Asian American Bar Association
• Digital Asset Transfer Authority (DATA) Board Director & Secretariat
• Bitcoin Foundation (Lifetime Member)
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
Admissions
• State Bar of California
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Presentations & Speaking Engagements
Last updated December 2014
December 2014
Latin American Bitcoin Conference
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
November 2014
Money2020
Las Vegas, NV
17-19 September 2014
Andorra Digital Currency Summit
Andorra
12 September 2014
Liquidity Summit
London, UK
28 July 2014
American Banker Digital Currencies Conference
New York, NY
10-11 July 2014
CoinSummit
London, UK
3-4 July 2014
ICT Spring Europe Summit, Keynote Speaker
Luxembourg
24-25 June 2014
ACI Virtual & Digital Currency and Payments Systems Conference
Chicago, IL
15-16 May 2014
Bitcoin Foundation Conference
Amsterdam, NL
12-14 May 2014
Dubai Cards & Payments Conference, Keynote Speaker
Dubai, UAE
23 April 2014
Hummingbird Ventures Seminar, “Virtual Currencies: Hype or New Business Paradigm”
Mechelin, Belgium
11 April 2014
DATA Annual Conference
Washington, DC
Organizer of inaugural DATA conference, participants including industry leaders, US and foreign regulatory agencies, the World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other public and private institutions around the world.
26 March 2014
Money & Technology Interview
San Francisco, CA
25-26 March 2014
CoinSummit SF
San Francisco, CA
24 March 2014
Luxembourg Consulate Digital Currency Presentation for Minister of Finance
San Francisco, CA
7-16 March 2014
SXSW Interactive Festival, "Bitcoin & Math Based Currencies: Road to $100 Billion”
Austin, TX
3-5 March 2014
All Payments Expo
Las Vegas, NV
26-27 February 2014
Pay360 “Legal, Legislation & Compliance” Conference
London, UK
11 February 2014
Slate Magazine, New America Bitcoin Event “New Coin of the Realm”
Washington, DC
11 February 2014
Future Tense Interview
Washington, DC
28 January 2014
Wells Fargo Virtual Currency Summit
New York, NY
21 January 2014
Nikkei Newspaper Interview
Tokyo, Japan
15 January 2014
Dansei Interview
influential blogger in Asia
Seoul, South Korea
7-8 December 2013
Latin American Bitcoin Conference
Buenos Aires, Argentina
20-23 October 2013
American Banker - ATM Debit & Prepaid Forum
Las Vegas, NV
9 October 2013
Soho House Bitcoin Presentation
Santa Monica, CA
6-10 October 2013
Money2020 Conference
Las Vegas, NV
28 August 2013
Conference of State Banking Supervisors Presentation
Washington, DC
22 August 2013
Northern California ACAMS – “Emerging Payment Technologies”
Palo Alto, CA
15 August 2013
Bloomberg Tradebook Presentation
New York, NY
14 August 2013
NMTA Virtual Currencies Compliance Conference (VC3)
New York, NY
2 July 2013
Bitcoin London 2013 - "Regulatory and Legal Challenges"
London, UK
11 June 2013
"Bitcoin: What it is, how it works, and why it's the most important invention of the 20th century"
Royse University Webinar
Palo Alto, CA
6 June 2013
Let’s Talk Bitcoin Podcast – Adam Levine
San Francisco, CA
4 June 2013
Techendo Interview
San Francisco, CA