- Former CFTC counsel Kari Larsen has joined New York Law Firm Perkins Coie
- She will be joining their Blockchain and Cryptocurrency division which opened in 2013
A former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Division of Enforcement counsel Kari Larsen has joined Perkins Coie’s New York Blockchain Technology & Digital Currency industry group and Investment Management practice in New York. The move was announced via a press release on the firm’s website and is seen as a significant advantage for the firm’s Blockchain arm.
This is because Larsen brings a wealth of experience in payment companies, money transmitters, trading and investment companies, and exchange platforms.
“Kari brings to bear a deep knowledge of derivative exchange platforms and the commodities sector to represent traders and CFTC registered entities focused on launching innovative products, including cryptocurrency products,” said J. Dax Hansen, Chair of Perkins Coie’s Blockchain Technology & Digital Currency industry group.
About Larsen
Larsen has over two decades of experience in eh finance sector and began her career at Enforcement Division of the CFTC where she worked as an International Operations Counsel on cross-border policy.
She then moved to a private practice and eventually named co-head of the global FinTech practice at Reed Smith.
She holds a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and a B.A. from Binghamton University – State University of New York.
This experience, the firm believes, makes her an ideal candidate for the role:
“Her work in the fintech exchange space right as it came into being gave her a front-row seat to concerns that still abound through the industry. That, combined with her deep understanding of commodity laws, particularly in relation to exchanges and brokers, makes Kari an excellent addition to our team.”
Perkins Coie opened its Blockchain Technology & Digital Currency industry group in May 2013 and was the world’s first legal practice dedicated to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency.
The blockchain arm of the firm provides services such as product counseling, regulatory investigations, and compliance counseling, litigation support, consumer protection counseling and business transaction assistance to a number of firms in the industry such as exchanges, wallet providers, and payment processors.
