Fordham Law Blockchain Regulatory Symposium Logo.
2023 Agenda

Registration and Breakfast

8:00 am - 8:45 am

Registration, breakfast and coffee.

Welcome Remarks

8:45 am - 9:00 am

Matthew Diller, Dean and Paul Fuller Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law, Donna Redel, Joyce Lai and Greg Xethalis

Panel

Navigating the Digital Asset Regulatory Terrain

9:00 am - 9:50 am

The digital asset realm is ever-evolving, but the regulatory landscape is slow to move with purpose. As various stakeholders eagerly anticipate clearer directives, this symposium session delves into pivotal questions confronting the industry, providing the backdrop for the 2023 Symposium. The panelists will discuss major trends, recent actions and provide insight and commentary on charting a path for crypto projects.

Moderator:
  • Lee Schneider, General Counsel, Ava Labs
Panelists:
  • Joe Hall, Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
  • Jai Massari, Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer, Lightspark
  • Dan Michael, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
  • Steve Wink, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Fireside Chat

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

9:50 am - 10:20 am

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator for New York

Moderated by Lewis Cohen, Co-Founder, DLx Law

Panel

Evolving Ecosystem: Market Integrity

10:20 am - 11:10 am

As the digital asset ecosystem evolves, a plethora of innovative tools and processes have emerged in both centralized and decentralized spheres, aiming for transparency and fairness. With these advancements, comes the pressing question: Are the regulatory frameworks adapting swiftly enough to ensure customer protection, and how should the industry act to develop tools while Congress and Federal Regulators debate how these markets should be regulated, and by whom? The panel will examine how the rules resonate with the rapidly changing needs, tools, and products accessible to today's customers, as well as the difficulty of trying to build both decentralized and intermediated platforms with an absence of clear, efficient licensing and regulation.

Moderator:
  • Jennifer Morton, Partner, Shearman & Sterling LLP
Panelists:
  • Robin Cook, Legislative Counsel, U.S. Policy, Coinbase
  • Coy Garrison, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson
  • Jason Somensatto, Head of Public Policy for North America, Chainalysis
  • Annemarie Tierney, Principal, Liquid Advisors Inc.
Fireside CHat

Kristin Johnson, Commissioner, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission

11:10 am - 11:40 Am

Kristin Johnson, Commissioner, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Moderated by J. Christopher Giancarlo, Senior Counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Lunch

11:40 am - 12:40 pm

Lunch sponsored by Fidelity Digital Assets

Panel

Crypto Bankruptcy: Charting Uncharted Waters

12:40 Pm - 1:30 pm

2022 and 2023 have been a bull market for novel bankruptcy issues, with numerous lending and trading platforms entering bankruptcy proceedings.  These cases introduce unprecedented questions for both judges and legal practitioners. As interpretations unfold, they will pioneer new standards, influencing the course of proceedings and the difficult questions of how to return value to stakeholders. Symposium Co-Founder Donna Redel will interview the Chief Bankruptcy Judges of the District of New Jersey and the Southern District of New York.

Moderator:
  • Donna Redel, Adjunct Professor, Fordham University School of Law
Panelists:
  • Honorable Martin Glenn, Chief Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York
  • Honorable Michael B. Kaplan, Chief Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of New Jersey
Panel

Business Model and Governance: The Road Ahead

1:30 pm - 2:20 pm

Crypto networks and DAOs introduce new systems for social coordination and economic incentives for governance structures.  These new systems present novel legal questions and challenge existing corporate and commercial law. How can design be structured to safeguard market participants and promote desired behavior, particularly in the realm of DAOs. This panel probes the legal issues around various business models and dissect the intricacies of technical architectures—be it public versus private blockchains or decentralized smart contract systems.

Moderator:
  • Joyce Lai, Founder, New Territories LLC
Panelists:
  • David Adlerstein, Counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
  • Olta Andoni, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Enclave Markets
  • Carla Reyes, Associate Professor of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law
  • Rodrigo Seira Silva-Herzog, Special Counsel, Paradigm
PAnel

Criminal and Sanctions Enforcement Developments

2:20 pm - 3:15 pm

Some of the top litigators in the world of criminal law and sanctions enforcement will discuss the impact of recent actions, with a particular focus on issues relating to criminal actions, national security and sanctions enforcement.  These are foundational issues for all projects, which sometimes take a back seat to the trending securities law topics of the day.  

Moderator:
  • Brandon Hammer, Counsel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Panelists:
  • Andrew DeFilippis, Special Counsel, Sullivan and Cromwell LLP
  • Samson Enzer, Partner, Cahill
  • Joseph Evans, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
  • Brian Klein, Partner, Waymaker
  • Liat Shetret, Director of Global Policy and Regulation, Elliptic
Panel

Securities and Commodities Law Litigation Developments

3:15 pm - 4:10 pm

The Federal Securities Laws and the Commodities Exchange Act stand as pivotal cornerstones, shaping both innovation and market practices. This panel delves deep into the intersections of securities litigation and enforcement actions within the crypto space, with a focus on recent enforcement actions and settlements driven by the SEC and CFTC.

Moderator:
  • Richard Nowak, VP, Associate General Counsel, Fidelity Investments
Panelists:
  • Jason Gottlieb, Partner, Morrison Cohen LLP
  • TuongVy Le, Partner and Head of Regulation and Policy, Bain Capital Crypto
  • James McDonald, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
  • Stephen Palley, Partner, Brown Rudnick LLP
  • Kayvan Sadeghi, Partner, Jenner & Block
Panel

Staking in the Regulatory Spotlight: Implications and Innovations

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm

Dive into an enlightening session where we unravel regulatory perspectives on staking products. Beyond the oversight, we'll delve into emergent tax considerations and gauge their potential ripple effects on the industry. Further, uncover how industry leaders are optimizing the use of ETH and other stakable tokens in their portfolios.

Moderator:
  • Anthony Tu-Sekine, Partner, Seward & Kissel LLP
Panelists:
  • Alison Mangiero, Executive Director, Proof of Stake Alliance
  • Jason Schwartz, Partner, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
  • Michael Selig, Counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
  • Meghan Spillane, Partner, Goodwin Proctor LLP
Panel

Global and U.S. Legislative Trends: Navigating Regulatory Climates

5:00 pm - 5:50 pm

As the quest for more accommodating regulatory environments intensifies, numerous firms are setting their sights beyond U.S. borders, considering or establishing offices overseas. In this session, we'll unpack the motivations and implications of these strategic moves. Concurrently, we'll cast a lens on anticipated legislative shifts within the U.S., spanning both federal and state horizons.

Moderator:
  • Marc Piano, Counsel, Harneys
Panelists:
  • Francesco Paolo Patti, Associate Professor, Università Bocconi
  • Rebecca Rettig, Chief Legal & Policy Officer, Polygon Labs
  • Jonathan Turnham, Partner, Travers Thorp Alberga
  • Miller Whitehouse-Levine, CEO, DeFi Education Fund

Closing Remarks & Networking Reception

5:50 pm - 7:00 pm

Closing remarks from Greg Xethalis, Symposium Co-Founder

Networking Reception sponsored by Latham & Watkins

May be subject to changes and adjustments. CLE credits are pending in accordance with the requirements of the New York and New Jersey State CLE Boards for a maximum of 8.0 transitional and nontransitional credits.
Fordham Law Blockchain Regulatory Symposium Logo.
2025 Agenda

Breakfast

8:00 am - 8:45 am

Registration and Breakfast

Welcome Remarks

8:45 am - 9:00 am

Welcome remarks by Dean Joseph Landau and Symposium co-founders Donna Redel, Joyce Lai, and Greg Xethalis.

Panel

The Year Behind and the Year Ahead

9:00 am - 9:50 am

The Symposium kicks off with our annual table-setting panel. The group will provide an overview of the trends that have captured the crypto-legal zeitgeist and those poised to emerge as preeminent themes for 2026.

Fireside

A conversation with TBA

9:55 am - 10:25 am

A conversation with Hester Peirce

Panel

Tokenize This $Panel

10:30 am - 11:20 am

Tokenization is not a meme, but rather the near term future for stablecoins, equities, rights, liabilities and other RWAs. Join attorneys working at the intersection of tokenization and Investment Management Director Brian Daly as they discuss the implications of tokenization and how this technology can be brought to bear under Project Crypto.

Fireside

Building in a New Day

11:25 am - 12:15 Am

The world was at war, but now there is opportunity. Hear from leading practitioners as they discuss how, when and where to start up companies and protocols.

Lunch Reception

12:15 Pm - 1:10 pm

Sponsor: Latham & Watkins

Panel

The New Face of Crypto Litigation

1:10 Pm - 2:05 pm

The SEC's and CFTC's war on crypto's good actors has come to an end, but private litigants and State AGs push forward. Will commercial litigation also pick up alongside activity? Listen to top litigators as they reassess an entirely new battle field for the industry.

Panel

Privacy: the core tenet of Crypto

2:10 pm - 3:00 pm

Financial services and broader society have struggled with the push pull of the demand for, and an aversion against, privacy. While the US Constitution has an implied right to privacy, crypto's next uncertain battle is over the commercial and fundemantal desire for privacy and government overreach. Furthermore, issues of software developer protections are at the forefront.

PAnel

The Global Lens

3:05 pm - 3:55 pm

As crypto meets its era of institutionalization and policy progress, we continue to be reminded that this is a global technology. Understanding issues across borders is important for structuring, partnering and selling assets or services in crypto. And as the Wu-Tang Clan once said, Tax Rules Everything Around Me.

Panel

Wall Street Meets Crypto

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm

Practitioners leading the space in corporate, capital markets and m&a work will discuss some of the key considerations as crypto companies start graduating from private market launchpads to public markets and acquisitions.

Panel

A Very Stable Market

4:55 pm - 5:45 pm

The Genius has landed, ushering in a new world for stablecoins. Practitioners working for both payments stablecoins and endogenously collateralized stablecoins will discuss what the future brings and whether traditional finance will walk away with the market.

Panel

Fireside Chat with TBA

5:50 pm - 6:20 pm

A conversation with TBA

Closing Remarks

6:20 pm - 6:25 pm

Closing remarks from Symposium co-founders Donna Redel, Joyce Lai, and Greg Xethalis.

Networking Reception

6:25 pm - 7:45 pm

Sponsor: Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP