Law of Code

Latest Episodes:

#30 - Ross Campbell: Legal Engineering and Kali DAO Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

Ross Campbell (@r_ross_campbell) is a legal engineer and core developer for SushiSwap, LexDAO, and KaliDAO, in addition to being a corporate attorney.

In this episode of Law of Code, Ross speaks from his ETH Denver hotel room on legal engineering with the Lex and Kali DAOs, how projects can work with both, and the impact of decentralization on nations.

Listen and subscribe to Law of Code for weekly updates and interviews in the world of blockchain at the intersection of the law.

[2:14] Ross catches us up on current projects and how Soulmate is creating a library of smart contracts

[5:43] Saving gas and testnets

[8:00] Difference between Testnets and EVM (& forking mainnet)

[9:14] Gas fees

[11:40] ETH Denver

[14:54] Will developers rug pull lawyers?

[25:30] What to consider when forming a DAO

[29:38] Kali DAO: What it is, how it works, etc.

[40:00] Ross' productivity hacks

[46:11] Reframing ‘thinking like a lawyer'

[48:44] Accredited investor laws

[52:01] Individualism

[55:36] Nation-states vs decentralization

[60:00] Social safety nets & DAOs

[68:20] Mistakes often made when starting down the path of a legal engineer

[73:00] $ROSS token

Show Notes:

- Marty Lobdell - Study Less Study Smart

- Cyberspace and the Law of the Horse

- LexDAO

- Kali DAO

#29 - Bennett Tomlin: The Tether & Bitfinex Connection Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

Bennett Tomlin (@BennettTomlin) is the co-host of the podcast Crypto Critics’ Corner, where he breaks down current events in crypto & finance. He is a data scientist who loves to analyze and track down frauds. Bennett also writes a newsletter, the Facts Under Dispute (FUD) Letter, which takes a deep dive into the darkest corners of crypto on a monthly basis. Bennett is a vocal & endearing critic of DeFi, and offers unique and refreshing insight while keeping a close eye on the largest players in the space.

In this episode of Law of Code, Bennett and Jacob discuss the evolution of stablecoins, the relationship between Bitfinex & Tether, and what the future holds for Bitcoin. We also cover:

[1:16] Bennett's Introduction to Bitcoin

[5:05] Crypto Critic's Corner

[10:45] Conducting Crypto Research

[17:00] Danger of Centralized Actors

[19:10] The Story of Bitfinex & Tether

[32:30] Government Regulation of Stablecoins

[39:33] Consensus, Decentralization & Bitcoin Hard Forks

[45:50] Projects Bennett is Watching

[50:10] Best Advice: "It's better to ask a dumb question, than to fail to ask it and be dumb"

Listen and subscribe to Law of Code for weekly updates and interviews on the intersection of blockchain and the law.

#28 - Stephen Palley: Crypto regulation, building a team, and defining decentralization Feb 25, 2022

Show notes

Stephen D. Palley (@stephendpalley) is a Partner in the Washington, D.C office of Anderson Kill, where he chairs the Technology, Media & Distributed Systems practice group. Stephen has written extensively and been quoted widely on legal issues arising from the use of blockchain technology, with appearances in both print and television media. He is also an editor of the International Journal of Blockchain Law (IJBL), a law journal helping non-legal communities better understand blockchain applications and digital assets.

In this episode, Stephen discusses his path into the crypto space, gives insight into building a crypto-law dream team, and the truth behind his love for two spaces after each period.

Listen and subscribe to Law of Code for weekly updates and interviews on the intersection of blockchain and the law.

Episode highlights:

[1:10] The Car Game

[4:45] Choosing Law School over an English PhD

[9:00] How a legal career is different than what Stephen expected

[11:55} From Construction and Insurance Law to Crypto

[16:50] Impasse Breaker

[20:30] Advantages in a legal career from a programming background

[23:26] Software Development and Engineering: Licenses?

[28:56] Chair Gensler

[31:00] Regulatory oversight & what is "decentralization" legally

[36:40] Writing for The Block and cases covering decentralization

[38:00] Working with anonymous clients?

[40:45] The two words why Stephen joined Anderson Kill

[53:00] What do young lawyers spend too much time on

[56:00] Valuable habits Stephen has developed over the years

[58:00] Two spaces after a period, fonts, Google Docs, Twitter & Herring. Of course.

Links:

The Block - Stephen D. Palley

#27 - Nelson Rosario: The Intersection of Intellectual Property & NFTs Feb 18, 2022

Show notes

Nelson Rosario (@NelsonMRosario) is the founder of Rosario Tech Law, a boutique law firm in Illinois focused on companies building the new economy on top of blockchain. Nelson’s widely respected commentary and analysis have been featured in the New York Times, TechCrunch and CoinDesk.

In this episode of Law of Code, Nelson and Jacob discuss IP and copyright, SpiceDAO, and what the future holds for NFTs.

[1:57] What sold Nelson on blockchain

[11:35] Why IP law is so important

[14:40] NFT & IP concerns people are overlooking

[18:00] Spice DAO

[25:40] The future of copyright in a digital world

[32:15] Benefits of open-source IP

[38:43] Answering novel legal questions

[43:27] Starting Rosario Tech Law

[49:42] Nelson’s love for Chicago

[53:46] What habits make a great lawyer?

#26 - Preston Byrne: The legal differences between Ethereum's ICO & Bitcoin, DAO trends, and building a crypto-law practice. Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) is a partner at Anderson Kill, where his practice is focused on early-stage high-tech companies, particularly regarding corporate transactions, IP, and other cross-border legal issues. He was previously a co-founder of Monax, the first permissioned blockchain, in 2014.

In this episode, Preston gives a history of his involvement in blockchain, looks at the evolution of DAOs, and gives his perspective on running a crypto practice. He also explains landing his first client on the day he was called to the bar. Listen and subscribe to Law of Code for weekly updates and interviews in the world of blockchain at the intersection of the law.

Show highlights:

[02:10] Preston's introduction to Bitcoin

[13:17] The mutation doctrine: Bitcoin and Ethereum.

[19:43] Important things to keep in mind when building a crypto-law practice

[24:07] Current DAO trends

[34:57] NFTs, crypto, and the broader market

[39:51] Best practices for interacting with crypto clients

[44:32] Why return to the USA after law school in England?

[50:58] Why Preston joined Anderson Kill

[52:45] “The Back of the Envelope”

[56:07] Exposure to cities as a category of risk

[1:00:47] Remote-first lawyers

[1:01:49] How has Preston’s reading shaped his views?

[1:08:52] What advice shaped Preston's career?

[1:11:29] What habits should lawyers establish early on?

Resources:

Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms and Source Code in C

Sane Society by Erich Fromm

Preston's site: https://prestonbyrne.com/

#25 - Lewis Cohen: A Masterclass on Securities, Currencies, and Building a Legal Career. Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

Lewis Cohen (@NYCryptoLawyer) is a co-founder of DLx Law, where his practice is focused on the use of blockchain and tokenization across capital markets. As a former global top 50 partner with 20 years of experience, Lewis is a frequent speaker on blockchain and is recognized by Chambers Global across legal, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies in the U.S.
In this episode, Lewis discusses creating a law firm in the crypto space, gives a master class on securities and commodities, and discusses the role of bridging blockchain and real-world assets.
Listen and subscribe to Law of Code for weekly updates and interviews in the world of blockchain at the intersection of the law.
[00:00] Meet Lewis Cohen
[01:44] Book recommendations
[06:09] What got Lewis interested in blockchain?
[07:59] DLx Law
[11:11] DLx Coin 👀
[16:45] Crypto regulation
[20:58] The role of on and off-ramps & KYC
[23:59] What is a security, really
[35:39] DAOs
[39:01] What DAO would Lewis like to join?
[42:23] What role might co-op statutes, regulation, and labor union treasuries play?
[50:01] The Wyoming DAO statute
[52:34] Bridging the gap between real-world and on-chain
[55:43] What does Lewis think about stablecoins?
[1:04:16] Building your knowledge and credibility in crypto
[1:09:18] Lewis’ system for keeping on top of changes
[1:11:41 With the constant change and iteration in crypto, what has surprised Lewis in recent years?
[1:17:24] What advice did Lewis receive early on which shaped his career?
Links:
DeFi: A Pathway Forward by Alexander Lipton and Lewis Cohen
Books:
The Starfish and the Spider by Rod Beckstrom and Ori Brafman

The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson
The Marshall Plan by Benn Steil
Collected works of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle

#24 - Lori Stein: The world’s first publicly traded Bitcoin investment fund, DAOs, and Canadian crypto regulation. Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Lori Stein is Co-Head of the Digital Assets and Blockchain practice at Osler, Hoskin, & Harcourt LLP, and a Partner in their Corporate Department. Lori is one of the top attorneys in Canadian FinTech & Securities, playing a major role in the development of crypto investment regulations. With clients such as 3iQ Corp., Lori had an integral role in establishing the first publicly traded Bitcoin & Ethereum investment funds in the world. Lori regularly advises Canadian companies on blockchain and cryptocurrency law, and has been widely published and quoted in the media for her expertise in this space.

Show highlights:

- The path to convincing the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) to allow the world's first publicly traded crypto investment fund

- How Lori prepared for her arguments to the OSC and best practices when navigating new areas of law

"At one point, the idea of a gold or silver ETF was completely novel"

- What regulators can do to capitalize on the potential of crypto, while protecting consumers

- Comparing the burden of proof in Canada vs the United States

- DAOs: Suitable approaches to legal recognition, applying the Howey test, and what the future holds

- NFTs & securities regulation

- Working with clients: first conversations and asking questions

- Law of Code NFT?

- Mentorship

& much more.

#23 - Addison Cameron-Huff: Working with Ethereum co-founders, saying no, and everything you should know about building a law firm of one. Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

Addison Cameron-Huff (@aCameronhuff) has been practicing in the blockchain space since 2014. Addison has managed a blockchain wallet company, built dev teams, provided legal advice to founders of Ethereum, taught at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and was one of the first Canadian lawyers to work in blockchain.

Show highlights:

[3:15] - Why he received a call from a co-founder of Ethereum in 2014

[4:42] - Starting a crypto-law firm: What the first few months looked like

[7:35] - Building momentum for your legal practice (including what not to do) and the importance of writing long-form articles

[10:55] - Imposter syndrome in the legal industry

[13:12] - When/How to say “I don’t know” when given a request you are unsure how to address

[16:45] - How to stay abreast of fast-moving crypto developments (as well as the slower-moving legal side)

[17:55] - The importance of understanding clients as you build your understanding of the law

[18:44] - Why Addison chose to start his own firm instead of joining BigLaw

[22:00] - The benefits of not scaling your law firm

[25:45] - What early entrepreneurial experiences can offer as life lessons

[31:00] - How Addison’s legal practice changed since 2014

[36:30] - The benefits of staying in the legal profession

[39:00] - The first stablecoin in Canada

[44:30] - The process associated with novel legal work (Canadian stablecoin)

[48:30] - Twitter and American Law (from a Canadian’s perspective)

[54:00] - DAOs over the next five years

Thanks for listening!

#22 - Jacob Martin: Becoming @theNFTattorney, buying a crypto punk and building a crypto-focused firm after law school. Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

Jacob Martin (@thenftattorney) is an attorney based in Southern California, founder of JTM Tech Law, and General Partner at 2 Punks Capital. While in law school, Jacob founded a legal tech startup focused on "tying Testamentary documents to the blockchain." Today, as Founder of JTM Tech Law, he consults & advises NFT artists & collectors, DAOs, auction houses, entertainment & tech companies on all things crypto, blockchain, & NFT.

Show highlights:

- His introduction to Bitcoin and NFTs

- Buying a Cryptopunk

- Becoming the "NFT Attorney" & starting a crypto-focused practice

- Learning the law as a sole practitioner

- How Jacob produced the NFT Tax Guide

- Why he's still a lawyer

& much more.

#21 - Michael Bacina: Australia's approach to crypto, playing offence in your career and how America's crypto policies impact the globe. Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Michael Bacina (@MikeBacina) is a Partner at Piper Alderman in Sydney, Australia. Michael advises companies at the intersection of cutting edge technology, automation and innovation. Michael regularly publishes on Blockchain and technology matters. He has been ranked Band 1 in FinTech by the prestigious Chambers & Partners in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and serves on the Board of Blockchain Australia and the Board of the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce. Show highlights: - Michael's blockchain-based practice at Piper Alderman - Building one of the best blockchain-focused legal practices in Australia - Recent Australian Government paper on virtual assets "We've never seen so many companies asking to be regulated" - The benefits of a background in computer programming - Michael's blog about blockchain law - Working with the Australian Government on crypto regulation - What makes a great lawyer - How to get a job in crypto law & much more.

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