Who We Are
We are a select group of practitioners at gunnercooke who specialise in advising on blockchain, Web3 and cryptoassets. One of the largest Web3 teams globally, we offer:
Understanding of client’s commercial needs: shown for example by the fact we accept payment in cryptoassets.
Depth of expertise: we have been advising blockchain companies since the first successful initial coin offering in the United Kingdom.
Proven track record: for example, we have been involved in over 10% of successful FCA cryptoasset registrations and assisted various regulators with shaping their legal and regulatory frameworks.
We hope that you find this website useful for finding out more about us, and how we can work together with you to raise the standards of the Web3 industry. Because together, We’re All Gunner Make It.
Contact us using the relevant email below, or at
Testimonials
James and his team of WAGMI Advisers are, without doubt, some of the most knowledgeable and expert lawyers and consultants in the digital asset space today. What I most enjoy about working together with them is their business focus and their earnest desire to help us succeed. James has guided us through the constantly shifting waters of the evolving legal and regulatory landscape, supporting us every step of the way from nascent start-up to mature business. We continue to look to the team at WAGMI Advisers for advice and support as our business moves forward and adapts to the future.
James Burnie and his team of WAGMI Advisers are, in my opinion, the leading blockchain and crypto lawyers in the UK. Their experience and ongoing consultancy into the Financial Conduct Authority's crypto asset regime as well as a shared goal for making the UK a key market for a great crypto market, makes WAGMI Advisers the only firm that any crypto, blockchain, DLT or Web 3 firm should consider working with to achieve their goals.
James Burnie, Mark Winters and the rest of the WAGMI Advisers team have advised us in our work towards submission to the UK regulators. Practical and responsive, I would recommend them highly as trusted advisers to the Web3 industry.
It is rare you find lawyers willing and able to see the world through a business lens, focused on enabling the business to succeed rather than simply minimizing risk. Any law firm can say they “support” the web3, crypto, blockchain, DLT industry, WAGMI Advisers are among one of the only teams actively helping build it.
With a deep understanding of our space and outstanding know-how, WAGMI Advisers provides thorough and rigorous legal advice that makes the critical difference to us as a decision-maker.
James and his team have standout expertise when it comes to navigating the legal and compliance complexities of Web3. James has assisted us with a variety of matters and has provided us with commercially viable and cutting-edge regulatory solutions for our product offerings.
James Burnie and WAGMI Advisers team have become one of our go-to teams for clear and concise advice on the developing cryptoasset regulatory space. James has helped us define our approach over the past couple of years to some complex matters in an ever-changing regulatory space.
Awards
Merch
We value our clients, and as a thank you we have a loyalty points scheme so that for every £10,000 (excl. tax) spent by our clients, they receive 1 hoodie, subject to the discretion of your contact point at WAGMI Advisers.
Team
Legal Team
James Burnie FRSA
James is a ranked Band 1 in Chambers FinTech Legal: Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies, and is a partner at gunnercooke llp. He has been involved in crypto since advising on the first successful UK-based ICO and the first equity issuance settled on-chain, and has acted for well over 300 Web3 companies. Recent work has included helping draft around 2% of the world’s regulation of cryptoassets, including advising the Mauritius FSC, the Kazakhstan Astana Financial Services Authority as well as a range of other regulators. He has developed the most cost effective routes to selling cryptoassets onshore, helping to create the first ever EU fronting model. He has given evidence to the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blockchain and Cryptoassets, is involved in FCA sprints in relation to cryptoassets, is an advisor to the Law Commission's DAO panel, and a named contributor to the UKJT legal statement on cryptoassets and smart contracts. He is a mentor at Outlier Ventures, and co-author of various books, including the RegTech book, the PayTech book and Crypto and Digital Assets Law and Regulation.
Nicky Androsov
Nicky is commercial contracts partner at gunnercooke, with particular expertise in Intellectual Property, Information Technology and Data Protection. She is experienced in advising technology SMEs in connection with technology, IT and IP development, protection and exploitation, together with commercial and corporate transactions, data protection advice and all associated matters, including drafting, negotiating, advising and developing strategy. Her clients include players across the Web3 ecosystem, from NFT artists and layer 1 blockchains to metaverses and gaming platforms.
Kathryn Dodds
Kathryn is a corporate and commercial senior associate at gunnercooke llp. She advises clients across the crypto, Web3 and emerging tech eco-system; as well as clients in the creative sector. She has particular expertise in relation to: (i) working with DAOs and new forms of corporate structure for Web3 projects, including leading on structuring considerations for selling a DAO; (ii) helping companies and investors with fundraising documentation; and (iii) advising Web3 clients on M&A transactions. Kathryn Dodds is a recommended lawyer in Legal 500.
Mark Langford
Mark is a corporate partner at gunnercooke llp. His practice encompasses the full range of company transactions in relation to Web3 businesses, from fundraising for start-up companies, through mergers and acquisitions to quotation on public equity markets and take private transactions. He is experienced on drafting SAFE, SAFETs and other documentation used in Web3 fundraising.
Gareth Malna
Gareth is a financial services and regulation partner at gunnercooke llp. Gareth provides strategic support to founders and regulatory and compliance teams. He has supported projects as they move towards true decentralisation, taken firms through the crypto-asset registration process and helped build systems and controls for regulatory compliance and consumer protection. He has been published in the Financial Technology Law Review, the Law Society's Blockchain: Legal and Regulatory Guidance publication and the International Comparative Law Guide to Public Investment Funds Laws and Regulations.
Andrew Tonge
Andrew is a restructuring and insolvency partner at gunnercooke. He is experienced in advising on issues of title and insolvency relating to cryptoassets, the creation and viability of trusts in cryptoasset holdings, and crypto custodial arrangements. Andrew also advises on the effect and validity of security over cryptoassets, including by debentures containing fixed and floating charges, equitable mortgages and liens, and in relation to financial collateral. Andrew specialises in advising boards of directors in the ‘twilight zone’, including on how to legally identify insolvency and the shifts in duties and obligations, contingency planning and maintaining the asset base whilst insolvent, how to deal with creditors including banks, and when to call in administrators or liquidators.
Neil Williams
Neil is a financial crime partner at gunnercooke llp. He has over 20 years experience in fraud cases involving individuals and corporates. He has frequently been instructed on large scale cases being investigated by the SFO, HMRC, NCA and other investigative bodies, with a strong background in bribery and corruption. Cases often involve multi-jurisdictional elements, foreign prosecutions by the SEC and DoJ amongst others, requiring co-ordination with partners across the globe. Neil undertakes investigations to identify wrongdoing, providing advice on regulatory / compliance issues should they arise. Where there are potential implications for the company itself, such as criminal or reputational risk, then advice and assistance to remedy the problems, together with continued support is provided. Neil also advises on asset tracing with multi-jurisdictional aspects spanning the globe, including digital asset recovery.
Holly Joseph
Holly is a trainee lawyer at gunnercooke llp. Holly's work involves assisting innovative Web3 projects, with a particular focus on the regulatory areas of FSMA, the MLRs and payment services. Work has included advising on commercial contracts, SAFTs, staking, regulatory perimeter issues, the regulatory treatment of tokens, use of tokens for payments, international set-up considerations, and how to deal with issues when setting up and contracting with DAOs and exchanges. Before joining gunnercooke, Holly received a First in law from the University of Exeter, where modules included Bitcoin, Money & Trust and Artificial Intelligence. Holly also has experience drafting contractual documentation, including SAFTs, terms, and intra-group documentation. She also assists with the operational management of projects to help them run on time and smoothly.
Sasha Androsov
Alexandra a paralegal at gunnercooke llp. Alexandra has experience drafting corporate documents, together with terms of business and privacy notices for tech start-up businesses amongst others. She received a BA Hons in Law from the Russell Group University of Leeds, taking modules in Cyberlaw, Company Law and Privacy and Media Law, with a focus on IP, amongst other modules.
Operating Partners
Mark Winters
Mark is Financial Crime Risk operating partner at gunnercooke llp, with over 25 years of experience. His experience includes local, regional and group CF11 / SMF 17 (MLRO), CRO and Chief Compliance Officer type roles, leading FCR Audit and Investigations teams and Anti Bribery departments. His experience has included: authoring, reviewing, socialising and implementing FCR systems and controls including risk assessments, policies and procedures, training, alert management and optimisation, recruiting and managing teams to run business as usual and remediation projects. Mark recently worked with an independent monitor on behalf of the US Department of Justice for a global bank determining if the risk and compliance systems and controls deployed were adequately designed, suitably implemented and effectively operated. Clients include ICONOMI and eToro. Recent clients in the following sectors include: 1) Crypto: Blockchain.com; eToro; PayPal; Wallet Group; and ICONOMI. 2) Banking / Financial Services: Bank of America; Centrica; Standard Chartered; Lloyds Banking Group; Arab Banking Corporation; and IFAST. 3) Funds: Novus Black; Linear Investments; and MHC. 4) Payments: World Remit; Travelex; EzRemit; and BFC.
Binu Paul
Binu is an operating partner at gunnercooke llp and brings over 25 years of experience in financial technology, crypto and digital assets, funds/wealth management as well as regulatory & compliance affairs. He has established and led innovation capabilities for financial regulators both in the UK, where he was Head of Digital Assets at the Financial Conduct Authority and in New Zealand, where he built the fintech and innovation capability for the Financial Markets Authority. Binu has also founded and exited fintech businesses as well as led strategy and business development for a global fund manager. Having held a variety of roles as founder, as chief executive, board advisor, chair, portfolio manager and department heads both in private and public sector organisations, Binu now advises businesses on regulatory and compliance matters, launch and growth strategies (including global expansion) and fintech product development. He has been appointed by the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise as an Advisor to Kiwi technology businesses expanding into the UK and mentors at a number of fintech startup accelerators.
Dan Petrovic
Dan is a product technology and enterprise sales operating partner at gunnercooke llp. He has over 25 years’ experience in product management, business development and enterprise sales in financial services and technology working with alternative and digital asset investment managers. Experienced in business planning, commercial strategy validation and fund formation, he supports key stakeholders across strategy verification, operational due diligence, vendor selection, project management of operational build and integration of vendors. Helping companies get investor ready. Experienced with working with high growth firms on a trajectory for listing, merger, or acquisition paths as well as overseas firms establishing in new territories across digital money, funds, data security and DAO Wealth. His focus is on financial technology solutions for global capital markets, including systemic financial markets infrastructure, digital assets, digital funds, and Web3 data applications. Previously involved with an EMI start up digital custodian and an investment bank owned digital custodian.
Brandon Holdsworth
Brandon is Financial Crime Risk associate operating partner at gunnercooke llp. Leveraging his ongoing review of industry guidelines such as the JMLSG and FCA Good and Poor Practice, and his studies for the ICA Diploma in AML, Brandon actively supports clients, acting in a capacity as a Junior SME Subject Matter Expert at various clients, including FinTechs as well as directly assisting risk and compliance departments in FCA regulated banks and registered crypto firms. His skills include authoring, reviewing and implementing FCR systems and controls. Brandon is particularly interested in risk management, focussing on sanctions compliance, AML automation and optimisation, CDD (customer due diligence) and KYC (know your customer) and using a risk based approach towards data management.
Rebecca Cooper
Becky recently graduated from the University of Leeds and has since joined as an associate operating partner at gunnercooke llp, assisting and supporting senior colleagues. She recently provided support to the CRO and MLRO of UK Firms in the Crypto Regulation Process, which has given her valuable insight into the crypto regulatory environment. Becky is also involved in a wide variety of Financial Crime Risk (FCR) and Dispute Resolution projects. This has familiarised her with various types of clients, and a range of projects and initiatives. She maintains knowledge of industry guidelines, such as, the FCA Good and Poor Practice and JMLSG, and AML legislation, such as the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and money laundering regulations, to assist firms in implementing FCR systems and controls.