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Law Firm

DLA Piper

Full-service global firm covering blockchain from seed to scale across 40+ jurisdictions

London / Chicago (co-headquartered)Est. 20054,000+ lawyers, 40+ countries
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Quick Facts

Best For
Teams needing coordinated multi-jurisdiction legal support under a single advisory relationship
Pricing
Global firm rates — varies significantly by office and matter complexity

Overview

DLA Piper's global reach makes it uniquely suited for blockchain businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously — a common requirement for exchanges, DeFi protocols, and infrastructure providers. With offices in over 40 countries, the firm provides corporate structuring, licensing, contract drafting, compliance, and long-term regulatory support without requiring clients to juggle multiple advisory relationships. DLA Piper is particularly valued for its ability to coordinate complex multi-country crypto licensing strategies from a single relationship partner.

Focus Areas

Multi-Jurisdictional LicensingCorporate StructuringToken Contract DraftingCompliance ProgrammesFintech RegulationData Privacy & BlockchainEmployment & Web3 Compensation

Who They Work With

Global Crypto ExchangesDeFi ProtocolsEnterprise Blockchain CompaniesFinancial InstitutionsToken IssuersWeb3 Infrastructure Providers

Notable Work

Multi-jurisdictional licensing and structuring for major exchange operators; ongoing compliance counsel for global Web3 infrastructure providers.

Key Contacts

  • Racheal Muldoon (London)
  • Josh Ashley (Singapore)

Office Locations

SingaporeDubaiNew YorkSydneyTokyo

Frequently Asked Questions about DLA Piper

How many jurisdictions does DLA Piper cover for crypto licensing?
DLA Piper has offices in over 40 countries, making it one of the widest-reaching options for multi-jurisdiction crypto licensing strategy. The firm is particularly valued for its ability to coordinate complex multi-country licensing from a single relationship partner — reducing the complexity of managing separate advisors in each jurisdiction.
What makes DLA Piper well-suited for global crypto businesses?
DLA Piper's key differentiator is breadth — the firm covers corporate structuring, licensing, compliance, contract drafting, data privacy, and employment across 40+ countries from a single firm relationship. For exchanges, DeFi protocols, and infrastructure providers operating across multiple markets simultaneously, this avoids the coordination overhead of managing multiple advisory relationships.
Who are the key crypto contacts at DLA Piper?
Racheal Muldoon in London and Josh Ashley in Singapore are the firm's primary digital assets relationship partners for the UK/European and APAC markets respectively. DLA Piper's size means it has relevant specialists across most major jurisdictions, and the right entry point depends on the primary markets the business operates in.
Does DLA Piper work with early-stage crypto startups?
DLA Piper can work with early-stage businesses, though its strength lies in multi-jurisdiction matters that justify the overhead of a global firm relationship. For purely domestic, early-stage legal questions, a specialist boutique may offer better value. Where DLA Piper adds clear value is when a project immediately needs legal coverage across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
What does DLA Piper typically charge for crypto legal work?
DLA Piper's rates vary significantly by office and matter complexity — fees in London and Singapore tend to be lower than equivalent US BigLaw rates, while New York and US offices are priced comparably to other large US firms. The firm's global pricing means teams can sometimes structure work to use offices in lower-cost jurisdictions for specific tasks.
What specific crypto legal services does DLA Piper offer?
The firm covers multi-jurisdictional licensing, corporate structuring for Web3 businesses, token contract drafting, compliance programme design, fintech regulation, data privacy in blockchain contexts, and employment and token compensation matters. It is less focused on enforcement defence or highly specialised securities law than firms like Sullivan & Cromwell or Gibson Dunn.

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