Top 10 Crypto Lawyers - Best Crypto Attorneys in 2022

At its peak, the cryptocurrency market was worth around $3 trillion, with Bitcoin’s $1.3 trillion market cap rivaling some of the world’s largest companies including Amazon and Tesla. It’s not just the prices, however. Cryptos, NFTs, DeFi, blockchain and other related technology have become household names across the world and among the hottest investment assets in the world.

As with any other industry that shoots up, legal complications have been on a steep rise. Regulators have been going after crypto companies and projects more ruthlessly than ever, with blockchain sleuths at Elliptic finding that crypto companies have paid $2.5 billion to US regulators since 2009, more than any other industry. 

Beyond the regulators, crypto projects have now started dealing with a myriad of legal issues as the industry grows. They include treading the fine line that’s securities laws, handling class-action lawsuits from aggrieved investors, cushioning their operations from shocks such as hacks, inter-jurisdictional differences in regulations and more.

This has led to the rapid growth of the crypto-focused legal industry. Crypto companies are hiring lawyers at a faster rate than ever before, both in-house and from leading law firms. As Wall Street Journal noted earlier this year, the industry “can’t hire enough lawyers,” with one recruitment company revealing that 15% of all recent placements have been in crypto. 

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, has revealed that it’s looking to hire 30 lawyers, with Kraken also seeking a similar number of legal professionals. Clearly, crypto lawyers are in demand. In fact, research has shown that crypto lawyers are in such high demand that some firms are hiring lawyers with no prior experience in blockchain and training them themselves. 

For some crypto firms, hiring an in-house lawyers as its chief legal officer has seemed the best approach, especially for the bigger companies. However, for the overwhelming majority of companies, the best option has been hiring lawyers on an as-is-needed basis. 

WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE HIRING A CRYPTO LAWYER

It’s clear that lawyers are becoming a critical part of the crypto success story. As such, hiring one has become a decision that can make or break a project. So, what should you consider before you hire a lawyer?

• The first thing to consider should be whether your project is best served by an in-house lawyer or by one who comes when needed? For most big companies, the former makes the most sense. Even when they are not dealing with legal issues such as lawsuits or regulatory issues, these lawyers help the company in its expansion strategy, handle disputes within the firm, advice on regulatory relationships and more. Smaller firms are served by hiring a crypto lawyer only when they have legal issues to deal with.
• The lawyer’s knowledge is also a critical thing to consider. Lawyers need to be knowledgeable on a whole array of legal aspects, but with crypto, this array is even bigger. For one, they need to know enough about how different jurisdictions handle crypto. The European Union handles crypto differently from the US and Asia, and these nuances can make or break your project. Even in the same country, various states can treat crypto differently, with New York’s BitLicense being a prime example.
• Experience is a big part to consider for any crypto lawyer. While a lawyer may have topped his class, the nuances in crypto may be too much for them. In addition, lawyers who have handled crypto cases develop relationships and networks that your company can leverage if it ever finds itself in legal hot water. 
• As with any other hiring for your crypto project, fees are a big thing to consider before hiring a lawyer. With demand at an all-time high, crypto lawyers don’t come cheap, especially those with a lot of experience.

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TOP 10 CRYPTO LAWYERS

Without further ado, here is our list of the top 10 crypto lawyers:

1. DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL LLP

Davis Polk is one of the world’s biggest and most renowned law firms. Based in New York City and with offices in Washington, Paris, Madrid, London, Hong Kong and more, the firm has about 1,000 attorneys specializing in all manner of fields, from capital markets and IP litigations to tax and mergers and acquisitions. With revenues of $1.8 billion, the 173-year-old firm has an unrivaled war chest, allowing it to give its clients top of the range services.

Cryptocurrencies are one of the many areas in which Davis Polk is a global leader. In 2020, its cross-practice fintech team, which houses crypto, was named “Fintech Practice Group of the Year” by Law360. 

Davis Polk has been in charge of mega deals such as Galaxy Digital’s $1.2 billion purchase of BitGo and the registration of shares for the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust.

2. BRYAN CAVE LEIGHTON PAISNER LLP

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP is a global law firm with offices in London, Paris, Abu Dhabi and more. The diversified international legal firm makes over a billion dollars each year and represents 30 of the world’s 50 largest banks, making it one of the world’s largest law firms.

Bryan Cave has become an increasingly important player in the crypto legal sphere. It has a large ‘Digital Currency Team’ that has expertise in crypto, fintech, securities laws, IP litigation and more, led by Robert Endicott.

Appreciating that crypto laws change and evolve quickly, the firm has team members that keep updated legal guidelines for the 50 states in the US. Among its biggest involvements was with Apto Payments which launched the first ever crypto debit card in the UK.

3. MISHCON DE REYA LLP 

Mishcon de Reya LLP is an award-winning British law firm that has over 600 lawyers. With offices in London, Hong Kong and Singapore, the firm caters to a wide array of sectors, from real estate and corporate litigation to dispute resolution and innovation-related lawsuits.

The law firm has a blockchain group that’s highly specialized and advises its clients on all aspects relevant to the space. It has expertise in art, government relations, data protection, crypto fundraising and more. The group is led by Anne Rose, an experienced attorney who has even participated in a government initiative to provide regulations for the crypto industry in the U.K.

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In addition to catering to the crypto companies, the company also helps its clients to secure funding to pursue litigations in the crypto world that they can’t afford themselves.

4. PERKINS COIE

Based in Seattle, Washington and with a billion dollars in annual revenue, Perkins Coie is the largest law firm headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. It has offices in 20 states across the US, as well global offices in China and Taiwan. With experts in several fields, the law firm offers legal and regulatory advice to some of the world’s largest companies, from Intel and Google to Facebook and Amazon.

As with the other law firms on the list, Perkins Coie also offers blockchain legal advice for its clients as part of its fintech-focused legal services. However, unlike many of its peers, Perkins Coie has a much larger team dedicated to crypto, with close to 50 dedicated lawyers. 

What’s more, the firm’s team members combine expertise in several other fields with crypto, such as intellectual property and securities laws knowledge, both of which overlap with crypto. This expertise has seen it rack up more than 300 crypto clients over the years.

5. DLx LAW

Most of the law firms on this list are multi-billion dollar enterprises with over a hundred years in experience and thousands of lawyers at their disposal. However, DLx Law is an exception, being a much smaller firm with offices in New York and Washington. 

DLx Law’s biggest strength is its lawyers and their track record in the industry. And while Angela Angelovska-Wilson, Gregory Strong and the others are reputable crypto lawyers, Lewis Cohen is the undisputed star at the firm.

Cohen is frequently quoted by the top media publications as he offers his opinion on the biggest legal cases in crypto, from Forbes and Politico to Al Jazeera and Fortune. Recently, he was named as one of the top three lawyers in the blockchain space by leading independent firm, Chambers & Partners.

6. NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH LLP.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP is by no means a small firm. The 125-year-old firm has over 900 lawyers spread across its 31 offices in Miami, Boston, Denver, Columbia, New York, Washington, Los Angeles and more. It also boasts of having some very famous alumni, including former Secretary for Education Richard Riley.

However, just as with DLx Law, one lawyer in particular makes this firm a darling for crypto firms, and that’s Richard Levin. Considered one of the first lawyers to focus on blockchain, he has become one of the most revered experts in blockchain law and today, he is the chair of the firm’s fintech and regulation practice. 

Levin is routinely quoted by the New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and more and has been ranked as one of the top blockchain lawyers by Chambers and Partners.

7. DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE 

Davis Wright Tremaine is yet another mega law firm that has been around for several decades, but which has grown to become a major player in crypto legal advisory. Launched in 1944, the Seattle, Washington-based firm has over 1200 employees across its offices in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and more cities. 

The law firm advises clients across a wide range of blockchain fields, from NFTs and GameFi to stablecoins and DeFi. Their experts deal with issues related to intellectual property, securities, banking, payments, regulations and more. 

Davis Wright Tremaine allows its crypto clients to tap into its experts in several other fields which are intertwined with crypto such as financial services, intellectual property, energy and media and entertainment.

8. Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC

Most of the law firms on this list have handled some big cases, but perhaps none has handled a case as seminal as Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC. The law firm, which is based in Washington DC and was founded three decades ago, is representing Ripple in its landmark lawsuit against the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission.

The case is arguably the biggest ever in crypto. Whatever the outcome is, it will have a lasting effect on crypto in the US, and even impact how other regulators treat crypto – whether as a currency or a security. 

Kellogg, while younger and smaller than the others on the list, is no stranger to big cases. It holds the record for winning the two largest antitrust judgments in US history, one of which was Conwood vs. US Tobacco in which it won $1.05 billion for its client.

9. WILLKIE FARR & GALLAGHER LLP

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is based in New York, and with over 850 attorneys and offices all over the US and Europe, it’s a real powerhouse in the legal industry. It’s also one of the oldest law firms at 134 years and with $1.22 billion in revenue last year, one of the most profitable.

But what gets it on this list is one man in particular who happens to be a senior counsel at the firm – Chris Giancarlo. Named in the top 10 crypto lawyers by the American Crypto Association, he is one of the most sought-after experts, with his musings constantly published by the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and other leading publications.

Giancarlo has been on the other side of the spectrum, having previously served as the chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This gives him unrivaled knowledge on crypto regulations as he was critical in establishing them.

10. GORDON LAW

So, now that you have sorted out most of the regulatory issues with any of the crypto lawyers on this list, it’s time to pay your taxes for your crypto firm. If you have no idea how to get started, or have issues with the IRS or any other tax agency, then Gordon Law is the law firm for you.

Based in Chicago, the firm is smaller than most of the others on this list. Nevertheless, it ranks higher than any rival when it comes to tax-related issues for crypto firms. Being a small firm actually works in favor of Gordon Law as tax issues need specialized expertise and it offers exactly that. 

Whether you need a simple crypto audit, have received a letter from the IRS or you just need to report crypto taxes, Gordon Law is the firm for you.

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WHAT NEXT?

Hiring a legal team for your crypto startup can be a daunting task. With all these factors to consider, it can be tricky to land on the right combination that caters to all your needs for the right price. At Coinboosts, we take away this stress by offering you the best advisory and legal consulting for your NFT and crypto project. 

Coinboosts in-house legal team, with years of experience in the industry, walks with you through every step of the legal process, breaking down the nuances so you can fully understand everything it takes to successfully navigate the legal processes.

Our legal team is well-versed with existing laws and always stays updated on the latest changes in an industry which evolves at breakneck speed.

Contact us and book a discovery call to learn more about the specifics and we can promise you that we will take your legal issues and make them ours, allowing you to dedicate your effort on the one thing you should focus on, which is building your product.

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