Overview –
James Petrila is Of Counsel at Miller Strategic Partners LLP. He is based in Washington DC.
Experience –
James Petrila is both a litigator and regulatory advisor for FinTech, digital asset, and general corporate clients. He most recently worked as Director of Litigation (Investigations & Policy) at Binance US, the U.S. digital asset exchange affiliate of the global Binance group, where he managed the company’s response to a range of state and federal governmental investigations and regulatory inquiries, the company’s civil litigation docket, and developed the company’s policy positions including helping to draft legislation affecting the digital asset community. Mr. Petrila has also helped found and worked as fractional general counsel for startups. James is valued by clients as a trusted advisor on corporate and regulatory matters for early stage companies working to develop their legal and product roadmaps. Between his experience in big law, in-house, and with the government, James understands the challenges facing in-house legal departments.
James previously worked as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, primarily serving as trial counsel to U.S. government clients including the Internal Revenue Service. Prior to his trial experience at DOJ, James practiced in the Washington DC based litigation groups of two prominent international law firms. He began his legal career in Seattle as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Betty Fletcher, on the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Representative Matters –
- Provide web3 startup involving liquid staking with legal assistance in conducting a SAFE round and an initial product legal and regulatory roadmap
- Assist web3 startup involving self-custodied wallets with developing a regulatory roadmap
- Help a leading DEX with general corporate and regulatory matters
- Provide an ethereum layer 2 with general corporate and regulatory matters including related to dapps
- Advise investment bank with employment and corporate matters
- Assist a family office with advice around a public company borrower lender dispute
- Represent an individual in an SEC investigation of a digital asset project he helped found
Bar Memberships and Participation –
Washington D.C. Bar
US District Court for the District of Columbia
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Prior Professional Experience –
Director of Litigation, Government Investigations & Policy, Binance.US
Trial Attorney, Department of Justice (Civil Tax Division)
Associate, Hogan Lovells US LLP
Associate, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Education –
J.D. University of Virginia School of Law
B.A. History, University of Michigan