Lilya Tessler

Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Lilya Tessler is a partner and head of Sidley’s FinTech and Blockchain group, which is recognized as a Band 1 practice in the 2022 Chambers Fintech guide and was named “FinTech Practice Group of the Year” by Law360 (2020). She focuses her practice on representing digital asset trading platforms, blockchain technology companies, U.S. and non-U.S. broker-dealers, financial services firms and cryptocurrency funds. Lilya is ranked in Band 1 in the 2022 Chambers Fintech guide in the USA Legal: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies category and was named a “Rising Star” in Fintech by Law360 (2019).

Lilya advises technology companies on public and private securities offerings, including blockchain token distributions. She also counsels financial institutions and digital asset exchanges with day-to-day securities issues, private placement agent requirements, custody rule requirements, cross-border regulatory issues, money services business registration requirements, as well as FINRA and SEC regulatory inquiries. She advises several U.S. and non-U.S. FinTech companies, including robo-advisors and high-frequency trading firms in evaluating the broker-dealer and investment adviser registration requirements.

Lilya is a member of Sidley’s global Securities Enforcement and Regulatory practice, which received the 2019 Chambers USA Award for “Financial Services Regulation,” and which was named the “Law Firm of the Year” for Securities Regulation in 2020 and 2017 by U.S. News – Best Lawyers. She works with transactional lawyers on structuring deals involving financial services and technology companies, digital asset exchanges and blockchain token offerings. She regularly assists both financial services firms and their vendors in negotiating U.S. and cross-border technology agreements for all types of services and considering the U.S. securities laws and broker-dealer regulatory issues associated with such technologies. Lilya has testified before the New Jersey Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee on the economic development opportunities presented by blockchain technology innovation.

Lilya is a frequent speaker and writer on various topics in FinTech, with a particular focus on distributed ledger technology, blockchain tokens and digital asset trading platforms. She participated in the Legislating Certainty for Cryptocurrencies Roundtable hosted by Congressman Warren Davidson.

Lilya is the founder and co-chair of the Digital Asset Regulatory and Legal Alliance (DARLA), an industry working group consisting of General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers of prominent blockchain and digital asset businesses. Lilya is a certified public accountant, FINRA dispute resolution arbitrator and previously held FINRA Series 7 and 24 licenses.

Prior to joining Sidley, Lilya was co-head of the FinTech and Blockchain Group and a leader of the broker-dealer practice at another global law firm.

(Source: Sidley Austin LLP)

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Demystifying Cryptocurrency and the Blockchain Location: RM 190, Classroom Building Date: June 20, 2022 Time: 1:55 pm - 2:55 pm View session

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