Following the keynote speech of Tulip Siddiq MP (Economic Secretary to the Treasury) at the Tokenisation Summit in London on 21 November 2024, the FCA published a crypto roadmap on the proposed policy publications on crytoassets in the UK.
Continue reading “FCA Crypto Roadmap Published”Watch this (Digital) Space: The Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill and D’Aloia v Persons Unknown
September was an exciting month in the digital asset space with developments in both Parliament and the Courts. Both venues have made strides to establish digital assets as property in England and Wales. With these developments come a raft of property rights for the owners of such assets, such as the benefit of various consumer protection measures and availability of certain legal mechanisms, such as tracing, injunctive relief and enforcement.
Continue reading “Watch this (Digital) Space: The Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill and D’Aloia v Persons Unknown”LAX SA v JBC SA – WFO applicant that could not fortify cross-undertaking ordered to give asset disclosure
A recent case in the Commercial Court in London saw the successful recipient of a worldwide freezing order (WFO) ordered to provide an asset disclosure when it could not provide fortification for a cross-undertaking. This is the first reported case of an order of this nature under English law.
Reaping the Awards – Avoiding the Pitfalls of Enforcing Arbitral Awards
As with litigation, a successful arbitral award is a hollow victory if the responding party refuses to honour it, and enforcement proceedings are necessary. Given the international nature of arbitration, a number of things could go wrong at this stage and put a downer on a successful award. There are matters that ought to be considered strategically at the outset at contract stage and beyond to be ready to deal with a reluctant party after the award. It is therefore crucial to take certain steps at various stages to ensure you cross the finish line and reap those awards.
To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris’ Charlyn Cruz, please visit the Duane Morris International Arbitration Blog.
High Court judgment handed down in highly anticipated case – Osbourne v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023]
By Charlyn Cruz and Sam Laycock
A highly anticipated judgment has been passed down from the High Court, allowing for service via Non-Fungible Token (NFT) on a defendant as the sole means of service. Osbourne v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023] EWHC 340 (KB) concerns Ms. Lavinia Osbourne, who sought to restrict the movement of two NFTs, which were misappropriated from her cryptoasset wallet in 2022. In the judgment, Mr Healy-Pratt (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) expanded on the comments made by Lavender J in his January 2023 judgment relating to the same case. Continue reading “High Court judgment handed down in highly anticipated case – Osbourne v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023]”
The Glass Ceiling Looms Large – Gender Diversity in Arbitration
In a previous blog, we looked at diversity, specifically in relation to gender parity, in the context of adjudication.[1] Although we have come a long way in this arena, the issue of gender diversity still casts a long shadow. It should therefore be no surprise that the world of arbitration suffers much of the same problem.
Continue reading “The Glass Ceiling Looms Large – Gender Diversity in Arbitration”
The Call of Duty (of Care) – the Potential Ramifications of the Tulip Trading case
The recent case of Tulip Trading Ltd v Bitcoin Association For BSV & Ors [2022] EWHC 667 (Ch) considered, amongst other things, the potential fiduciary duties owed to crypto owners by developers of crypto software. This judgment originated from an application from the Second to Twelfth, and Fifteenth and Sixteenth Defendants who challenged the jurisdiction of the Court. In this case, it was found that the Defendants did not owe a duty to help the Claimant recover its assets. At first glance, this seems like bad news for victims of crypto fraud. However, if you go beyond the substantive judgment and look at the judge’s obiter comments, the legal developments following the judgment (including the permission to appeal), and the details of the subsequent settlement of the claim, it is arguable that this judgment provides possible scope for an additional strategy for the recovery of crypto assets in the future. Continue reading “The Call of Duty (of Care) – the Potential Ramifications of the Tulip Trading case”
To Pay or Not to Pay – Factors to Consider when Faced with a Ransomware Attack
By Chris Recker and Charlyn Cruz
In this digital age, the data held by an organisation can be one of its most important commodities. Threat actors (also known as malicious actors) recognise this and as such, cyberattacks have been on the rise. In particular, ransomware attacks have increased in frequency – studies have found that more than three-quarters of UK businesses were affected by ransomware in 2021. This is to be expected, not least because an organisation can still experience significant disruption, even where it is not the target of a ransomware incident (for example, it could be that an organisation further up or down the supply chain may have been affected).
So what should a company do when their data is being held captive? Should they submit to the demands of the threat actor and simply pay? Or should they refuse to back down, on moral grounds (amongst other things)?
Continue reading “To Pay or Not to Pay – Factors to Consider when Faced with a Ransomware Attack”