The 15 Lawyers and Firms Fighting Crypto’s Biggest Legal Battles

Every major regulatory victory, landmark court ruling, and every piece of legislation that shaped the crypto industry has a lawyer behind it. They’re a big driver behind the mainstream acceptance of digital assets. But 15 firms and individual lawyers have carved out their place in modern financial history.

They wrote briefs, argued cases, testified before Congress, and built the legal frameworks that enabled institutional capital to enter crypto with confidence.

From the landmark Ripple Vs SEC case, the regulatory victory of Coinbase, to policy papers that now appear in Senate testimony, here are the 15 biggest lawyers fighting crypto’s legal battles.

Rank	Nominee	Type	Base	Landmark Case	Credentials & Track Record	Why on the List
1	Sullivan & Cromwell	Firm	New York, USA	FTX bankruptcy lead counsel	Major SEC defense; $180M+ approved FTX fees; Chambers Band 2 Crypto-Asset Disputes	Led the largest crypto bankruptcy to date. The FTX restructuring stands as the most complex legal mandate the industry has seen.
2	Davis Polk & Wardwell	Firm	New York, USA	Block.one EOS securities settlement	Chambers Band 1 in Crypto-Asset Disputes and FinTech Blockchain; Robert Cohen (ex-SEC Crypto Unit head)	The only firm ranked Band 1 across both core crypto legal categories. Deep regulatory ties and top-tier institutional mandates.
3	Latham & Watkins	Firm	Los Angeles, USA	Global DeFi, DAO, and NFT defense	Chambers Band 1; Multi-agency matters (SEC, CFTC, FinCEN, OFAC)	Handles more DeFi and DAO mandates than any peer. Strong cross-border execution across US, EU, and Asia.
4	Debevoise & Plimpton	Firm	New York, USA	Ripple SEC defense	Chambers Band 1; Andrew Ceresney (ex-SEC enforcement director)	Played a central role in the Ripple case that reshaped how courts treat secondary-market token sales.
5	Cleary Gottlieb	Firm	New York, USA	Garlinghouse & Larsen SEC defense	Chambers Band 2; Matthew Solomon (ex-SEC litigation chief)	Led the personal defense of Ripple’s executives, a parallel case with major legal implications.
6	Fenwick & West	Firm	Mountain View, USA	Crypto SEC investigations and M&A	Chambers 2026 ranked in 4 FinTech categories; Partner Michael Dicke individually ranked for Crypto-Asset Disputes	Core legal partner to Silicon Valley crypto builders. Broadest bench across crypto, fintech, and securities law.
7	Cooley LLP	Firm	Palo Alto, USA	Early Bitcoin company advisory	Chambers FinTech ranked; Brian Klein (Band 1) joined 2025	Involved since the earliest Bitcoin corporate formations. Continues to advise founders and funds shaping the sector.
8	Brown Rudnick (Digital Commerce)	Firm	Boston / DC, USA	FTX Bahamas counsel; BlockFi recovery	Stephen Palley (Chair); Chambers & Legal 500 ranked	Built a leading crypto practice through strategic hires. Delivered landmark DAO rulings and full BlockFi creditor recovery.
9	Paul Grewal	Individual	San Francisco, USA	Coinbase SEC case dismissal (2025)	Coinbase CLO; Former US Magistrate Judge	Led Coinbase’s legal defense to a major win against the SEC. Influential voice in policy and regulatory debates.
10	Stuart Alderoty	Individual	San Francisco, USA	Ripple summary judgment & 2025 settlement	Ripple CLO; President of National Cryptocurrency Association	Delivered a defining court outcome for crypto markets. Now leading industry-wide public education efforts.
11	Lewis Rinaudo Cohen	Individual	New York, USA	US Senate Banking testimony (2025)	Co-Chair, CahillNXT; Chambers Band 1	Key legal thinker shaping US crypto legislation. His “ancillary asset” framework influenced policy design.
12	Miles Jennings	Individual	United States	SEC Task Force decentralization framework	CLO, Castle Island Ventures; Former a16z policy head	Developed one of the most cited frameworks on decentralization in regulatory discussions.
13	Jake Chervinsky	Individual	Washington DC, USA	Hyperliquid Policy Center CEO	Founder & CEO; Former Blockchain Association policy head	Now leading a DeFi-focused policy group with strong funding. Active in shaping US regulatory direction.
14	Amanda Tuminelli	Individual	New York, USA	DeFi patent challenges	Executive Director & CLO, DeFi Education Fund	Led successful legal challenges against patents affecting core DeFi protocols. Key figure in pre-enforcement strategy.
15	Marisa Tashman Coppel	Individual	United States	SEC Dealer Rule lawsuit	Senior Product Counsel, Phantom; Former Blockchain Association legal head	Led a major industry challenge against SEC rulemaking. Helped frame constitutional arguments for crypto firms.

About This List

This list is compiled by the BeInCrypto Research Division as part of the BIC 100 Institutional Awards 2026.

Nominees are selected based on the impact, influence, and industry-shaping significance of their legal work in digital assets. Regulators and government officials are evaluated separately in Category 5.5 (Regulatory Framework).

Methodology

Rankings draw on Chambers FinTech 2026 tier assignments, landmark case outcomes, regulatory engagement (including Senate testimony, SEC filings, and amicus briefs), and the strategic significance of signature matters.

Individual roles and affiliations reflect public information as of April 2026, sourced from firm profiles, Bloomberg Markets, and official announcements.

To submit a nomination or share feedback, contact awards@beincrypto.com.

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