An SEC enforcement attorney has joined a law firm that defends crypto companies.

Attorney Ladan Stewart, who represented the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its enforcement case against Ripple, has joined the law firm, which is often on the defense table for crypto companies.

In the year She helped prosecute the commission's lawsuit against Ripple, filed in December 2020, after she “resigned from the SEC” as a representative attorney in January.

“Ladan's recent role as head of the SEC's Special Crypto and Cyber ​​Litigation Division has been a tremendous asset given the heightened regulatory scrutiny of the crypto industry in recent years,” said Joel Cohen, head of White & Case's Global White Collar Practice. “Ladan is incredibly well positioned to advise crypto industry players and protect against regulatory or private actions.”

The law firm has represented several crypto firms in some significant cases, including those involving the SEC. Following the November 2022 exchange failure, White & Case partner, and attorneys, appeared before Celsius' official creditor committee on behalf of the interim liquidators controlling FTX's operations in the Bahamas.

Nicole Erb of White & Case noted that Stewart, who has “extensive experience at the forefront of the SEC's enforcement division,” could appear on behalf of crypto companies to advise clients under the commission's scrutiny. She highlighted the concern of lawmakers about the possibility that former SEC colleagues could appear against former government officials in the digital asset industry in a crypto enforcement case.

“I think it's very important for crypto companies and any companies that are interested in being involved in crypto and fintech — issuers or tech companies or financial institutions — that regulators are advised by people who know how to like the SEC. Think about the issues,” Stewart told Cointelegraph. People spend their time in government. I think it's a really good thing when you go through and go back to the private sector because you can really share certain knowledge and skill sets that the private sector can't express.

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Stewart told Cointelegraph that while there are potential conflicts of interest, she believes she can manage them. While at the SEC, Stewart handled litigation against Ripple, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, and Coinbase. Prior to joining White & Case, she served as counsel in the Commission's Enforcement Division for eight years.

The SEC has ongoing lawsuits against Binance, Kraken, Ripple, Coinbase and other organizations involved in the digital asset space. Many have criticized the commission for taking on crypto “regulation,” comparing it to traditional financial institutions.

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