Anderson Kill announces that Hailey Lennon, former regulatory counsel at leading cryptocurrency platforms Coinbase and bitFlyer, has joined the firm’s Technology, Media and Distributed Systems Group as a shareholder. Ms. Lennon is based in California and will be affiliated with Anderson Kill’s Los Angeles office.
At Coinbase, Hailey helped oversee regulatory relationships with the SEC, CFTC, OFAC and state regulators. In particular, she worked with the New York Department of Financial Services to obtain approvals for new products, services and digital assets and managed the companies’ Bitlicense and Trust Company supervisory relationships, reporting and audits. She also assisted with the Crypto Rating Counsel and reviewed securities law analysis of coins considered for listing and custody; managed external law firm relationships and lobbying efforts; obtained state lending licenses; and assisted with the launch of Coinbase’s margin product in 23 states.
Prior to joining Coinbase, Hailey helped bitFlyer Japan’s expansion into the United States, obtaining money transmitter licenses for 33 states, as well as the coveted New York BitLicense. She oversaw bitFlyer’s BSA/AML program including internal policies and procedures, training, audits, and required reporting. She also managed meetings with FinCEN, DEA and other regulatory agencies as well as the company’s strategy with respect to CFTC and SEC. Her regulatory responsibilities included response to subpoenas requesting customer information, to questions from FinCEN and OFAC, and to Attorney General requests.
During her tenure at bitFlyer, Hailey served as board secretary for the Virtual Commodity Association, a working group seeking to establish an industry-sponsored self-regulatory organization for the cryptocurrency industry.
Previously, Hailey was AVP of regulatory compliance at Silvergate Bank (a leading digital asset bank), where she spent two years conducting compliance and legal reviews for any prospective cryptocurrency customers looking to bank at Silvergate. Earlier in her career, she worked in conventional currency exchange, as a consultant at FX Depot, and as in-house counsel and director of compliance at Dolarex. Upon graduating from law school she worked as an associate at Gordon & Rees, where her practice focused on commercial litigation, professional liability, consumer protection and employment law, and toxic tort/product liability.
“Hailey has worked on the frontier of cryptocurrency law keeping two of the world’s leading cryptocurrency platforms in compliance with U.S. and international agencies as they broke new ground in product and market development,” said Stephen D. Palley, chair of Anderson Kill’s Technology, Media and Distributed Systems Group. “She will add invaluable in-house experience to our growing practice in this arena, and her experience interacting with federal and state regulators is especially valuable for our growing team.”
“Anderson Kill is building a team that includes this country’s leading cryptocurrency attorneys,” said Robert M. Horkovich, Anderson Kill’s managing shareholder. “Hailey is a sterling addition.”
Hailey is a frequent speaker at cryptocurrency conferences and is a contributing author for Forbes and Bitcoin Magazines. She is frequently quoted on cryptocurrency matters in financial and cryptocurrency media including Coindesk, Yahoo, Bloomberg and CoinCentral.
Hailey is admitted to practice in California and in U.S. District Courts in that state. She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). She holds a J.D. cum laude from University of San Diego School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Law, magna cum laude, from Loyola Marymount University. She also completed a Fintech Future Commerce Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.