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Am Law 100 firm with practices in Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Litigation and Tax.

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BakerHostetler launches Crypto Asset Disputes team

Our work is anchored at the intersection of next-generation finance and modern litigation, where developing law, rapidly evolving technologies and novel financial structures drive disputes. In this complex, continually transforming area, we focus on clear, practical advocacy to deliver effective results.

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Our clients include Web3 and fintech market participants, from startups to Fortune 100 companies, in a diverse array of matters, including:

Complex Civil and Commercial Litigations

We litigate high‑stakes commercial disputes involving cryptocurrencies, other digital assets and blockchain-based technologies. Our clients include Layer 1 and 2 protocol providers, crypto exchanges and founders, executives and users of blockchain-based technologies. We handle cases spanning a wide range of issues including contract and other business disputes, alleged fraud and tort claims, which can often involve intricate jurisdictional fights and novel legal theories. Our team draws on our command of the technologies at play in these cases to develop focused, strategic litigation approaches that position matters for early resolution and/or decisive victory.

International Arbitration

We represent multinational corporations, technology innovators, investors and business leaders in cross-border disputes before the ICC, ICDR, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC and CPR, and in ad hoc proceedings under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.

Our digital asset matters arise from token purchase and SAFT agreements, exchange and platform terms of service, mining hosting and colocation contracts, hardware supply agreements and protocol development and joint venture arrangements. BakerHostetler is ranked Band 1 in the International Arbitration: Highly Regarded table by Chambers Global, and nearly all the team’s partners hold individual Chambers rankings. These matters sit alongside the rest of our docket - we handle a wide variety of commercial and investor-state matters, including upstream, midstream and downstream energy disputes, major cross-border construction of utility projects in Europe, disputes over the allocation of carbon credits, the construction of desalination plants in the Middle East, class actions and data center development and power supply. We move early for emergency and interim relief when assets are at risk of dissipation. And we enforce awards across the more than 170 New York Convention jurisdictions where counterparties and digital assets are often located. The team works through regional groups. Our Latin America group advocates in Spanish and English and is separately ranked by Chambers for Latin America international arbitration. Our European and Asian groups handle matters seated in London, Paris, Madrid, Geneva, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Investor and Founder Disputes

We represent institutional and individual investors as well as founders, directors and executive officers in disputes related to capital-raise events, shareholder rights, company control and business judgment. Our experience positions us to achieve success in disputes involving unique aspects of the crypto market, including with respect to token allocation, crypto treasuries, smart contract management and governance of decentralized autonomous organizations.

Our team advises and provides robust defense for clients at the highest levels of exposure, whether defending matters brought by U.S. federal agencies, state regulators or private class plaintiffs. We pair securities law fluency with in-depth understanding of blockchain infrastructure, cryptocurrency markets and DeFi systems to develop cohesive, forward-looking defense strategies amid evolving enforcement trends and investor strategies.

Government Investigations and Enforcement Actions

When our clients face government scrutiny related to digital assets and novel financial products, our team of seasoned litigators – including former assistant U.S. attorneys and other high-ranking attorneys and enforcement supervisors from federal and state agencies – is there to provide support through every step of the process. We advise and vigorously defend public and private companies, corporate executives, board members and individuals in civil, regulatory and criminal enforcement investigations and litigation, bringing practical judgment and credibility to high-pressure engagements.

The collection of data in a blockchain-based ecosystem gives rise to unique privacy law concerns. Our team navigates clients through regulatory exposure and litigation risk arising from the intersection of data governance and digital asset innovation. We counsel clients on the full spectrum of data protection challenges, from the design stage to fully operational applications, to keep pace with shifting regulatory mandates.

Combining technical acumen with decisive advocacy, our team helps safeguard our clients’ creative assets and intellectual property (IP) rights in the digital asset space. Our sophisticated litigation matters include disputes over digital assets involving patents, trademarks and copyrights, often in multijurisdictional proceedings. Our demonstrated excellence in high-value IP matters enables clients to protect, enforce and maximize the full value of their innovations.

Receivership and Insolvency Issues

We advise on insolvency, restructuring and receivership matters involving digital assets. Drawing on our comprehensive knowledge of traditional bankruptcy proceedings, regulatory compliance and fraud-related proceedings, we develop pragmatic strategies to preserve value, maximize recoveries and protect client rights in complex bankruptcies.

International Asset Tracing and Recovery

We pursue and defend high-stakes international asset tracing and recovery actions involving misappropriated or lost digital assets, using blockchain tracing and specialized discovery and litigation tools to maximize recovery. Our experience spans fraud cases, hacks, money laundering, insolvencies and cross-border enforcement efforts. We move quickly and decisively to locate, secure and maximize recoveries worldwide, using advanced technical tools and partnerships, and unique strategies developed over years of experience.

Crypto Asset Disputes

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