Blockchain
Our blockchain capability is built from technical knowledge, commercial acumen and practical experience. Our usual client-centric approach naturally comes as a standard.
Within RPC, we have blockchain specialists who are deeply involved in the sector, have been published and appear regularly in the media.
Our capability is born of a genuine interest in the space, and our team can be seen doing everything from writing on blockchain for an authoritative legal textbook to appearing on national television. But knowing about blockchain is only part of the story; in order to understand how blockchain may affect and be effected by our clients, we know it is essential to understand our clients' needs too.
We recognise that different clients will need to be serviced in different ways. We take a collaborative, collegiate and seamless approach to our work advising clients on blockchain related issues, and our blockchain capability is flexible enough to meet your needs; whether you are an existing client looking for assistance from your regular team, or a new client looking for a single point of contact to assist you. We are as excited about the opportunities blockchain presents as you are, and are ready to be your partner in innovation going forward.
What we do
Blockchain is industry agnostic; so our capability is cross-disciplinary. Blockchain is decentralised; so our capability is present in all our offices. Blockchain can alter the very fabric of the way our clients do business; so our capability is present in all our practice areas and at all levels. We have assisted coin issuers, crypto-exchanges, blockchain developers and blockchain start-ups, Our integrated team of specialist lawyers provides a genuine “one-stop-shop” for any blockchain project.
We can advise you on:
- ICOs, including pre-ICO fundraising, venture capital and private investments
- Regulatory advice, including ICOs, crypto assets and blockchain
- Crypto funds, including funds
of funds and managed accounts - Crypto exchanges
- Litigation & dispute resolution, including coin provenance, tracing and handling issues
- Settlement, custody and valuation issues
- Intellectual property
- Data privacy & data protection
- Technology acquisitions
- Smart contracts
- Liability & responsibility
- Insurance coverage and disputes
- Tax
A snapshot of our experience
- Advising on the intellectual property aspects of blockchain and ICO projects, including IP licencing and assignment arrangements and terms of use
- Advising ICO issuers and other blockchain businesses on laws and regulations, including “forum shopping”
- Advising on pre-ICO and ICO fundraising and structuring, including reviewing white papers, subscription terms and related documentation
- Advising on ICO platform terms and conditions, including data protection issues
- Handling the settlement of over 400 claims and potential claims arising from the hack of a major cryptocurrency exchange, including several High Court claims
- Advising on the theft of bitcoin sale proceeds, including coin provenance and tracing issues
- Acting for a major Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange on the settlement of multiple high-value claims arising from a hack, and handling the related High Court litigation
- Advising a number of cryptocurrency-related businesses and token issuers on regulatory, licensing and commercial issues arising from the establishment of operations in Hong Kong (and coordinating the provision of related advice in other jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea)
- Pursuing civil and criminal proceedings against an international criminal enterprise involving a multimillion US$ bitcoin theft
- Acting for a corporate investor in recovering sums paid in a fraudulent OTC bitcoin trade