Sheppard Mullin's The Legit Ledger

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Jim Gatto, a partner in Sheppard Mullin's Washington D.C. office and co-chair of its AI team, joins host Sarah Ben-Moussa to discuss what companies should know as they embrace generative AI, including key legal issues, the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act, and unique due diligence concerns when acquiring or investing in companies that develop or use...

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Matthew Lisle of Wedbush Securities joins Sheppard Mullin partner Bill Kane and associate William Sierra-Pambley to discuss recent developments impacting the digital asset marketplace, including the Ripple and Terraform opinions from the Southern District of New York. What We Discussed in This Episode: There remains a lack of judicial consensus in applying the...

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Jim Gatto and Yasamin Parsafar explore copyright in the context of AI-generated works, including the recent registration guidance issued by the U.S. Copyright Office and the infringement issues that may arise with respect to training an AI model.   What We Discussed in This Episode:   What two works did the Copyright Office specificall...

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Achilleas Sarantaris of Async Art joins Sheppard Mullin attorney Sam Cohen to continue their discussion of the latest trends and innovations with NFT-based music, including the implications of using the Creative Commons "no copyright reserved" tool, or "CC0", and common misconceptions and pitfalls to look out for when minting NFTs relating to music.    What We...

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Achilleas Sarantaris of Async Art joins Sheppard Mullin attorney Sam Cohen to discuss the latest trends and innovations with NFT-based music, including common use cases, Soulbound and generative NFTs, and granting commercial rights to music through NFTs.    What We Discussed in This Episode: The current trends and common use cases in NFT-based music. An overvie...

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorney Jim Gatto joins Yasamin Parsafar to provide an overview of his recent article, NFT Regulatory Issues – a 2022 Review and 2023 Preview , discussing the latest with NFTs and the SEC and other issues.   What We Discussed in This Episode: What are fractional NFTs? Why might they lead to securities issues? How can companies selling NFTs or o...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Casey Kuhlman of Monax Labs sits down with Sheppard Mullin Blockchain Team Co-Leader Jim Gatto to discuss Monax's technology solution for ensuring NFT purchasers affirmatively accept a NFT license before purchasing, both for primary sales and secondary sales.     What We Discussed in This Episode:   What are the challenges of using and ensuring acceptance of a...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorney Jim Gatto joins host Yasamin Parsafar to discuss the Court's order granting summary judgment in favor of the SEC in its case against LBRY and takeaways from the Court's order.   What We Discussed in This Episode:   What is LBRY? What are LBRY Credits? What drove the SEC to file suit against LBRY? What key issues did the Court address in...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Jim Gatto and Brittany Walter join host Yasamin Parsafar to discuss the latest developments in the federal government's insider trading case against Nathanial Chastain, a former head of product at NFT marketplace OpenSea.   What We Discussed in This Episode:   What prompted the government to pursue this case? What charges were brought...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Bill Kane and Zack Golda join host Yasamin Parsafar to discuss the CFTC's recent lawsuit against the Ooki DAO for allegedly offering leveraged and margined retail commodity transactions in digital assets in violation of the Commodity Exchange Act . What We Discuss in This Episode: Why did the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (" CFT...

In this episode of the Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorney Michael Driscoll joins host Afruz Sayah to discuss the current crypto bankruptcies involving Voyager and Celsius, including the circumstances that led to those bankruptcies, why the introduction of crypto complicates a Chapter 11 proceeding and how these latest bankruptcies will clarify legal issues around crypto insolvencies.   What We...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Chris Bosch and Zack Golda join host Yasamin Parsafar to discuss the Tornado Cash lawsuit, which claims the OFAC exceeded its authority by prohibiting U.S. citizens from interacting with the crypto mixer. What We Discuss in This Episode: Can you provide a high-level explanation of what Tornado Cash is? What does it mean for an entity t...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Laura Pamatian, founder of the oldest independent advisory firm in the blockchain space to focus strictly on real estate HeightZero Real Estate, and real estate attorney Jared Wachtler, a member of Sheppard Mullin's Blockchain Team, discuss tokenized real estate and metaverse land, including the advantages of tokenization in the real estate space, high-level re...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Alex Lazar and Gabe Khoury discuss the legal issues surrounding Decentralized Autonomous Organization or DAOs, including the manner in which DAOs function, the types of legal structures popular with DAOs, and important considerations for individuals thinking about creating or joining a DAO.   What We Discussed In This Episode: What exa...

In this episode, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Jim Gatto and Yasamin Parsafar continue to explore intellectual property considerations in NFT licensing, this time focusing on how IP owners can ensure their licenses are binding on the purchasers of NFTs containing their intellectual property. Topics discussed include the way IP licensing terms may be passed on to an NFT owner, what steps IP owners shou...

In this episode, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Yasamin Parsafar and Christopher Bosch discuss Decentralized Autonomous Organization (or DAO) liability considerations in light of Sarcuni et al v. bZx DAO, a class action lawsuit alleging negligence due to inadequate security measures resulting in the loss of more than $40 million in funds for token holders.   About Yasamin Parsafar Yasamin Parsafar is a...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Reid Whitten and Gabe Khoury discuss cryptocurrency sanctions, including the role of the OFAC, the consequences of engaging in an unauthorized transaction, risk mitigation strategies for avoiding unauthorized transactions, and more.    About Reid Whitten Reid Whitten is the Managing Partner of Sheppard Mullin's London office, where his...

In this week's episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Yasamin Parsafar and Jim Gatto are joined by Kevin Tian, Co-founder and CEO at Doppel, to discuss the detection and enforcement of IP infringement in Web3, including the types of breaches typically seen and the options available for enforcement once a potential violation is identified.   About Kevin Tian Kevin Tian is a Silicon...

In this episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Jim Gatto and Gabe Khoury discuss licensing considerations for NFT owners and creators, including the range of licenses creators are using, the recent trend toward more commercial NFT licenses, and practical considerations to keep in mind when drafting an NFT license with commercial rights.   Jim Gatto is a partner with the Intellectua...

In this week's episode of The Legit Ledger, Sheppard Mullin attorneys Jim Gatto and Gabe Khoury discuss the current state of NFT regulation, including misconceptions regarding the regulatory status of NFTs, the conditions under which an NFT might be considered a security, which regulatory agencies market participants should be watching, and more.   About Jim Gatto Jim Gatto is a partner with the I...

Presented by Sheppard Mullin's Blockchain Team, The Legit Ledger podcast covers blockchain-related legal issues and offers practical tips on keeping transactions legit. In each episode, we discuss legal and regulatory matters relating to blockchain tech and business models with thought leaders and industry professionals who have hands-on experience with this evolving legal landscape. For our inaug...