Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins has dedicated digital assets coverage across its 40+ offices globally, with particular depth in the US (New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC), UK (London), Singapore, and Dubai. For complex cross-border mandates, the firm coordinates multi-jurisdiction advice from a single relationship partner, making it well-suited for exchanges and protocols operating across the US, EU, and Asia simultaneously.

Latham & Watkins is primarily a premium BigLaw firm, and its Digital Assets & Web3 team tends to be most cost-effective for established businesses with complex, multi-jurisdictional legal needs. Early-stage projects with simple token structuring questions or basic regulatory queries may find the rates prohibitive — staged scoping and project-specific budgets can be arranged, but founders should request a clear cost estimate before engaging.

Latham is consistently ranked by Legal 500 and Chambers as a leading US securities law practice for crypto, with particular strength in token issuance, exchange regulatory compliance, DAO legal structures, and complex M&A transactions involving digital assets. The firm also maintains the publicly available US Crypto Policy Tracker, one of the most widely-used free regulatory resources in the industry.

The practice is co-chaired globally by Yvette Valdez (New York) and Stephen Wink (Fintech, Global). For UK and European mandates, James Nuttall in London is the senior practitioner to engage. Initial inquiries can be directed to the practice group through the firm's website, and warm introductions via existing clients or ecosystem contacts are the fastest route to partner-level engagement.

Latham charges premium BigLaw rates — partner billing rates are typically in the $1,500–$2,000+/hour range for US offices. The firm recommends bespoke scoping and staged budgets for crypto mandates, which can help contain costs for defined projects. Total engagement costs for a significant regulatory or transactional matter typically run into the six or seven figures.

Timelines vary significantly by matter type. Token structuring and regulatory analysis engagements can complete in weeks for well-defined scopes, while ongoing compliance programmes, exchange licensing, and M&A transactions run for months to years. Given the firm's depth, it can typically mobilise quickly for urgent matters such as enforcement response or time-sensitive transactions.