Fintech & Blockchain

As a thought-leader and trailblazer in the industry, Sullivan has had a major impact in the fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency industry by providing legal representation to more than 100 clients whose size varies from governments, top cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, and large enterprises to smaller startups. We help our clients pursue and execute first-of-their-kind business ideas. These new ideas involve unseen regulatory uncertainty and have forced us to think beyond traditional ways of practicing law.

We help clients navigate emerging legal issues and regulatory uncertainties, manage risk, identify opportunities and proactively plan for the future. With deep financial, regulatory and technological expertise, we ascertain the implications that new fintech solutions and regulatory guidance will have on our clients’ operations and prepare them to offer new services and products. Working with entrepreneurs, investors and established companies in a range of industries, we provide strategic guidance to help clients finance, develop and capitalize on the promises of technology while gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace.

We are respected in the fintech and blockchain industry for our deep understanding of emerging technologies and their intersection with financial and other commercial systems. Our multi-disciplinary practice group is recognized by our clients and industry leaders for developing creative and practical legal and business solutions, especially when presented with complex issues of first impression. We advise enterprise clients with respect to how best to use emerging technologies to improve efficiency and security while remaining in compliance with various regulatory requirements.

In addition, Sullivan provides practical, functional, and useful advice to policy-makers worldwide attempting to craft a regulatory scheme to govern the fintech industry. The Fintech Group has worked on several projects with the Chamber of Digital Commerce and the Wallstreet Blockchain Alliance in responding to various regulatory authorities. We’ve additionally prepared a response to the financial stability board on the regulatory treatment of stablecoins, and a response to the FDIC on digital assets, blockchain, and the banking industry. For the Global Blockchain Business Council, we’ve prepared regulatory updates for its members, we’ve contributed to their Blockchain Annual Report, and we have participated in their Blockchain Central conferences both at the United Nations and at Davos.

Accolades

• Sullivan has been ranked by Chambers FinTech and Legal500 US each year since 2019.

How We Bring Value to Our Clients

• Governmental advice – We have advised various governments interested in blockchain and digital currency applications in regard to monetary policy, legislation, citizens’ identity creation and management, property record keeping, and additional state-related issues.

• Pioneering legal advice - We structured some of the first ICOs and blockchain-based applications, such as structuring the first issuance of digital securities utilizing blockchain technology for Overstock.com and helping in launching Overstock’s distributed ledger platform, tZero.
• Regulatory policy initiatives - We are at the forefront of regulatory development in the blockchain space. We work on global policy initiatives with the Blockchain Research Institute, the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, the Blockchain Global Business Council and Wharton Reg@Tech, among others to develop guidance on best practices for development, issuance and management of tokens and other digital assets, and manage the legal issues surrounding digital currencies and assets, and distributed ledger technology.
• Deep expertise and wide client base across the fintech industry and companies adopting blockchain technology - We advise clients on nearly all aspects of fintech and blockchain transactions, including some of the largest cryptocurrencies, enterprises, startups, funds, central banks, and digital asset exchanges. We also advise regulatory bodies worldwide on emerging fintech and blockchain issues.

Representative Client Work

• Advising one of the world’s largest digital asset exchanges on development and expansion of services provided
• Advising a top rated global crypto exchange in respect of its listed digital assets and new product and service offerings
• Provided regulatory and compliance, international structuring, tax, securities and employment law advice to some of the world’s largest metaverses and crypto lending platforms
• Structured numerous token and digital asset offerings in various industries, including but not limited to real estate, next-generation technologies, sports, media and entertainment, gaming and finance, and have counseled clients on various complex cross-border considerations including tax, employment, corporate, intellectual property, securities laws and other regulatory compliance matters