The SEC vs Crypto Battle: The Judges and Attorneys are In
These people may define the future of the crypto domain. Let’s find out who they are.
Being a judge takes work, especially when you must moderate and assess a standoff between giants like the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) vs. Coinbase and Binance.
As we await the imminent trials, let's uncover the identities of the appointed judges who will preside over the case, as well as the attorneys who will represent the defendant. Note: the SEC has its own in-house lawyers.
Judge and attorneys: The SEC vs. Binance
According to the filings, D.C. Judge Amy Berman Jackson will be in charge of reviewing the SEC vs. Binance case.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Source: Wikipedia
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, she obtained her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1979.
She was appointed by former POTUS Barack Obama and previously served as a federal prosecutor and also worked on the criminal defense side. Her track record involves presiding over high-profile political cases.
She sentenced two former Trump advisors, Paul Manafort Jr. and Roger J. Stone Jr., to 43 and 40 months of imprisonment, respectively, due to Russia-related charges.
The appointment was received with a certain degree of skepticism from some commentators. One Twitter user wrote: “Well, most old people barely use mobile phones, how will a 68 years old woman understand what is crypto and how it works. Just because of the same reason we are suffering, as Gary has no clue what he is doing and what is happening.”
The attorneys defending Binance include Gibson Dunn and Latham & Watkins.
The former is a highly respected firm that has been on the market for over a century and has 20 offices worldwide. Incepted in May 1872 by a 34-year-old Corporate attorney John Bicknell, it has been named Commercial Law Firm of the Year (2021) and Law Firm of the Year (2021)
Latham & Watkins is likewise a behemoth in the industry. Founded 1934 in Los Angeles, Latham is the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue. Among the most prominent of the company’s achievements is the defence of Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Safra Catz through trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Judge and attorneys: The SEC vs. Coinbase
Judge Jennifer H. Rearden Source: Wikipedia
Jennifer H. Rearden is a United States District Court judge for the Southern District of New York.
Current POTUS Joe Biden nominated her in 2022.
Rearden earned her degree in history from Yale University in 1992. Later, in 1996, she obtained her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She was also the article and note editor of the Journal of International Law & Politics.
Interestingly, before her confirmation, Rearden was a partner with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York, where the company was set to defend Binance.
Rearden is known for her decision to pause Voyager Digital's efforts to sell its assets to Binance.US in response to the U.S. government's filing for an emergency stay.
Meanwhile, Coinbase will be represented by Sullivan & Cromwell and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, & Katz.
Founded in 1879, Sullivan & Cromwell is among the leaders of the law industry. Like in Binance’s case, the company has multiple offices worldwide and its headquarters in New York.
Wachtell Lipton was founded in 1965 and claims to have “achieved extraordinary results following the distinctive vision of our founders”. Its gross revenue stood at $983,597,000 in 2022, making it 51st on The American Lawyer's 2023 Am Law 200 ranking.
The firm represented Twitter in successfully forcing the completion of its takeover by Elon Musk.
Previously, GNcrypto reported that Binance suffered from a significant market share loss.
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