Do I need a lawyer yet? Why early legal strategy is a startup’s secret weapon
Early legal strategy is a startup’s secret weapon. In today’s funding climate, investors are scrutinizing structure—not just story. A clean legal foundation signals you're serious, protects value, and can make or break a deal. You don’t need to over-lawyer—but you do need a smart plan.
Generative AI and the Legal Profession
Generative AI is rapidly becoming a fixture in legal practice, transforming workflows, expectations, and client demands. According to Thomson Reuters’ 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report, usage of generative AI among law firms and in-house legal departments has nearly doubled over the past year, with 26% now using the technology and 59% supporting its use in legal work. While the pace of adoption is striking, it has outpaced the development of formal policies, training, and clear legal frameworks for responsible implementation.
Post-Liberation Day “Secondary Tariffs”
On April 2, 2025, the Trump administration declared a new “Liberation Day”—a sweeping trade policy shift marked by aggressive new tariffs that reverberate far beyond traditional bilateral trade disputes. Under Executive Order 14245, the United States now claims the authority to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from any country that imports Venezuelan oil, whether directly or through intermediaries. This is not merely a sanctions expansion. It is a geopolitical reshaping of trade policy through discretionary economic punishment for third-party relationships—a dramatic shift from prior norms of trade enforcement.
The SEC’s Crypto Custody Roundtable: A Tipping Point for Regulatory Clarity or More Questions?
The Securities and Exchange Commission has released the full agenda and panel lineup for its April 25 roundtable, “Know Your Custodian: Key Considerations for Crypto Custody.” The speaker list is impressive—though, perhaps, it might have been even stronger had they invited me (a guy can dream, right?). Scheduled to take place at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C., the event will bring together regulators, law firm partners, academics, and crypto-native custodians for what may prove to be the most consequential public dialogue on digital asset custody to date.
Bitcoin as a Strategic Reserve: Policy, Legal, and Compliance Implications
As governments around the world begin to explore bitcoin as a sovereign reserve asset, the legal and operational challenges of holding decentralized digital assets at scale are coming into focus. With the U.S. now consolidating over 200,000 BTC under a newly created Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, federal agencies must confront unprecedented questions around custody, classification, transparency, and compliance. This article examines how sovereign crypto ownership reshapes the legal landscape—where sovereign immunity meets private key management, and where agencies once tasked solely with regulation must now coordinate as market participants. The implications for global reserve policy, national security, and financial law are only beginning to unfold.
Securities Docket Weekly Update - April 11
Here are the top stories in securities enforcement and regulation for the week ending April 11, 2025. From viral market misinformation to a new SEC Chair, let’s get into it. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates! 👊🏽🇺🇸
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 29
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 29, 2025. Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates!
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 21
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 21, 2025. Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates!
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 14
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 14, 2025. Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates!
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 7
Securities Docket Weekly Update - March 7, 2025. Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates!
Securities Docket Weekly Update - Feb 28
Securities Docket Weekly Update - Feb 28, 2025. Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates!
Securities Docket Weekly Update - Feb 21
Securities Docket Weekly Update - Feb 21, 2025. Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates! 👊🏽🇺🇸
Securities Docket Weekly Update - Feb 14
Securities Docket Weekly Update Feb 14, 2025 - Join me as I break down the top securities enforcement and regulatory developments shaping the industry this week! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly updates!
Harvard vs. Trump: Federal Funding, Free Speech, and the Fight for Academic Autonomy
A high-stakes legal and political confrontation is unfolding between Harvard University and the Trump administration. At its core lies a dispute over federal research funding, the right of private universities to operate independently, and the administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism on campuses. The conflict raises profound questions about constitutional law, academic freedom, and the extent of executive power over institutions of higher learning.
SEC’s April 2025 Crypto Guidance Flop
On April 10, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance (CorpFin) released a detailed statement outlining disclosure expectations for offerings and registrations of securities in the crypto asset markets. While the framework is thorough, well-organized, and undeniably helpful to lawyers and compliance professionals, it suffers from a familiar and recurring issue in the Commission’s approach to crypto: it does not say who the rules apply to.
Paul Atkins Confirmed as SEC Chair Amid Rising Pressure to Act on Chinese Companies
On April 10, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Paul Atkins as the next Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission in a narrow 52-44 vote. During his confirmation process, Atkins faced tough questions about the agency’s recent reversals in crypto enforcement and the influence of the Trump administration on its priorities. But the most pointed pressure came from lawmakers demanding stronger action against Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
Courts, Not Regulators, May Shape Crypto Law — But That’s Not Necessarily a Bad Thing
As the SEC retreats from its aggressive crypto enforcement posture under former Chair Gary Gensler, observers have speculated that courts will now become the primary venue for resolving disputes over how federal securities laws apply to digital assets. But despite the headlines suggesting a flood of new litigation, we at Anderson P.C. are not convinced that such a surge is inevitable—or even problematic.
Par for the Course - Senator Warren Urges Review of Trump SEC’s Crypto Retreat
To many familiar with Senator Warren’s long-standing focus on financial regulation and institutional accountability, this move is unsurprising. She has consistently taken a hardline stance against what she views as industry capture and lax enforcement. Whether this particular request leads to meaningful action from the OIG remains to be seen. Such inquiries can take months or years, and the bar for proving undue influence is high.
DOJ Bans Lawyers from ABA Events
In a move that has stirred unease across the legal community, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last week that its attorneys are prohibited from attending or participating in events organized by the American Bar Association (ABA). The decision, laid out in a memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, cited concerns that the ABA has engaged in “activist causes,” including litigation aimed at blocking Trump administration policies on foreign aid.
Markets React to Fake News on Tariffs: A Cautionary Tale for Traders
On April 8, 2025, U.S. financial markets experienced a whiplash moment after an unverified social media report falsely claimed the Trump administration was preparing a 90-day suspension of tariffs. The news—initially published by pseudonymous Twitter personality “Walter Bloomberg” and subsequently picked up by credible outlets including CNBC and Reuters—set off an immediate and massive rally in equity markets. The rally added trillions of dollars in paper value in a matter of minutes.