AetherDigital Counsel

New York

Counsel for digital assets and the investigations that follow them.

We advise funds, exchanges, and companies that use crypto and other digital assets. If assets are stolen, disputed, or under review, we follow the transactions and prepare the papers a court or a regulator can use.

Arrange a consultationThe practices
Boardroom with a long conference table overlooking a city skyline at dusk

InvestigationsFollow stolen or disputed assets, and write it up for court.

RegulationLicenses, exams, and the rules that apply to your product.

DisputesFreezing assets, going to trial, and answering regulators.

Practices

Seven areas of work. In each one we say what the facts show, and what they do not.

  1. 01Blockchain InvestigationsWe follow stolen, hidden, or disputed crypto across blockchains and explain what a court or a regulator can rely on.
  2. 02Regulatory & ComplianceAdvice on U.S. and European crypto rules, money-transmission licenses, and anti-money-laundering programs.
  3. 03Tokenization & SecuritiesWe set up token sales and tokenized real-world assets, such as bonds or property, so the legal documents match the technology.
  4. 04Smart Contracts & DeFiWe draft and review the terms for crypto protocols and treasuries, including the moments when the code and the contract say different things.
  5. 05NFTs & Intellectual PropertyRights and licensing for NFTs and digital collectibles, including brand deals and enforcement when someone misuses a work.
  6. 06Disputes & LitigationWe represent clients in recovery actions, exchange disputes, protocol failures, and large commercial cases involving digital assets.
  7. 07Cross-Border & InstitutionalAdvice for banks, funds, and companies entering digital assets: custody, trading venues, acquisitions, joint ventures, and launches in more than one country.
Modern private office with a desk, leather chairs, and built-in bookshelves

Investigations are handled inside the practice.

When assets move, you need a timeline you can file in court. Our lawyers work with forensic analysts, and we stay responsible for what the affidavit says.

Investigations practiceA recovery matter

Selected matters

Asset recoveryCross-chain theft recoveryA fund lost treasury assets in a hack that crossed three blockchains. We traced where the value went, found the exchanges still holding it, and supported court orders that froze and later recovered a substantial part.Restraining orders and a substantial recoveryInvestigation and litigationDeFi protocol disputeA protocol contributor was accused of steering a vote and shipping an upgrade that favored one trading firm. We reviewed the blockchain record and the messages, then settled the claim on confidential terms.Confidential settlementRegulatory defenseExchange investigation defenseAn exchange faced overlapping questions about how it listed assets, a sanctions-screening miss, and customer tracing. We ran the response and the internal review. The matter closed with no enforcement case.Closed with no enforcement action

People

Full team
Portrait of Jonathan Hale, Managing Partner

Jonathan Hale

Managing Partner

Investigations, disputes, and enforcement defense

Portrait of Elena Voss, Partner, Regulatory

Elena Voss

Partner, Regulatory

Securities regulation, offerings, and supervisory response

Portrait of Marcus Chen, Partner, Transactions

Marcus Chen

Partner, Transactions

Tokenization, protocol deals, and institutional transactions

Insights

Whitepapers