James Williams joins the firm's Los Angeles office
DLA Piper continues to expand its Los Angeles office with the hiring of James Williams as a partner in the firm’s regulatory and government affairs practice. Williams will be a member of the practice’s financial regulation & technology subgroup, adding depth to the firm’s coast-to-coast blockchain and digital asset team.
Williams has extensive experience navigating the intersection of corporate, securities and intellectual property law. He advises blockchain native companies on a range of matters including regulatory compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Williams also routinely acts as legal and strategic advisor to well-known brands on crypto and blockchain integrations. He has represented numerous professional basketball, football and soccer teams on crypto naming rights deals, fan tokens, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Proof of Attendance protocols. His work for global consumer brands, entertainers and media companies includes all aspects of metaverse and NFT commercialization, from branding and smart contract design strategy to handling of all transactional aspects, including metadata design, NFT minting and marketplace partnership agreements.
“Expanding our capabilities in the blockchain and digital assets space is a strategic priority for the firm,” said Edward Smith, chair of the firm’s regulatory and government affairs practice. “James’ diverse business and legal experience, coupled with his extensive SEC regulatory experience, will be critical in advising clients on the regulatory implications of using new tools and asset classes.”
Along with more than 20 years of legal experience, Williams has a diverse business background. He has served as the CEO of the global consumer brand Planet Blue, and an operating partner for a venture capital fund.
