On Oct. 3, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) took another step in identifying, assessing, and responding to the risks various types of digital assets pose to the financial system
Continue Reading Digital Assets: Financial Stability Oversight Council Risk Report Assesses Regulatory Gaps; Offers RecommendationsBarbara A. Jones
Barbara A. Jones is Co-Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the firm’s Global Corporate practice. Barbara serves as Chair of the firm's interdisciplinary Blockchain & Digital Assets practice. Barbara maintains a diverse corporate and securities law practice across industry groups, emphasizing complex international and domestic transactions, including private and public financings, dual listings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic collaborations and joint ventures, and licensing transactions. She serves as a trusted advisor to public and private company boards of directors on governance matters and complex regulatory reporting and compliance issues. Barbara's clients include financial institutions, private equity and venture capital groups, and public and private companies in emerging technology, life sciences and biotechnology, defense and security, blockchain and digital assets, telecommunications, information technology, energy (traditional and renewable), mining, media, entertainment and sports. Barbara also represents Olympic and professional athletes and sports-related organizations.
Barbara practiced U.S. law in London from 1990 through 1997 with Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP, and headed the international capital markets practice of Kirkland & Ellis LLP from 1999 to 2003 before relocating to Boston. From 1997 to 1999, she served as Vice-President, Assistant General Counsel and Regional Counsel for capital markets with J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd. in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Since returning to the U.S., she has continued to actively represent public and private companies, private equity groups and investment banks in the European, Scandinavian, African and greater Asian markets, including China.
Barbara is a past chair of the ABA’s Subcommittee on International Securities Matters. She is a frequent speaker at conferences relating to cross-border securities matters, strategic alternatives, and digital asset structures. She serves on the Government of Bermuda’s Global FinTech Advisory Board.
Regulatory Scrutiny on the Rise of Bank and Crypto Company Dealings
Federal regulatory agencies are closely monitoring crypto-asset developments and banking organizations’ participation in the crypto-asset industry. This GT Alert covers the guidance issued by the FDIC, CFPB, and the Federal…
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The Responsible Financial Innovation Act: A Comprehensive Proposal to Regulate Digital Assets
On June 7, 2022, U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act (RFIA), a bill that would create the first comprehensive regulatory…
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California State Assembly Introduces Legislation to Establish Digital Financial Assets Law
On June 7, 2022, California State Assembly Banking and Finance Committee Chair Timothy Grayson introduced legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 2269, sponsored by the Consumer Federation of California, that will…
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California Governor Issues Executive Order Fostering Use and Regulation of Blockchain and Crypto
On May 4, 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-9-22 (EO) to create a regulatory approach for cryptocurrency companies and to determine how to use blockchain technology for…
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SEC Steps Up Enforcement Activities in Crypto Markets
On May 3, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced in a press release that it is nearly doubling the size of its enforcement unit overseeing cryptocurrency markets…
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SEC Chair Continues Push to Regulate Digital Asset Markets
At a speech to the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Capital Markets Association on April 4, 2022, SEC Chair Gary Gensler took the opportunity to again promote his strong desire…
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SEC’s BlockFi Order Signals Further Scrutiny of DeFi
On Feb. 14, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged crypto lending platform BlockFi Lending LLC (BlockFi) with (1) failing to register the offers and sales of its crypto…
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Federal Reserve System Takes First Step Toward Creating Its Own Digital Currency
On Jan. 20, 2022, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Fed) issued the Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation paper (Paper)…
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Digital Assets Sector: What to Watch for in 2022
The digital asset and blockchain sector in 2021 saw exponential growth and adoption fueled by stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi), and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). Headed into 2022,…
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