Event Overview
Blockchain Beyond Crypto
Saturday, January 21, 2023
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM — In-Person CLE Program
2.0 MCLE Credits
2.0 Areas of Professional Practice
This program is transitional and is suitable for all attorneys
including those newly admitted.
Co-sponsored by the Business Law Section; the Trusts and Estates Law Section; and the Committee on Technology and the Legal Profession.
The popularity of distributed ledger technologies (“DLT”) and blockchain, which is a specific application of DLT, has surged in recent years. Despite its near-constant presence in the media, coverage has largely focused on three specific applications of blockchain: cryptocurrency, art-related non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”), and, to a smaller extent, decentralized finance (“De-Fi”). Legal practitioners who have only been exposed to this narrow subset of potential blockchain applications may have a limited understanding of the underlying mechanics of blockchain systems. This limited understanding of the fundamentals of a system may make it harder – if not outright impossible – for one to properly spot legal issues when analyzing novel applications of blockchain technology outside the domains of what has been in the limelight of the media.
This program seeks to survey the underlying mechanics of DLT protocols, engaging the attendees in a discussion of cases that could be important to legal practitioners adventuring in this new world, with focus on business law, contract law, and tax law. The panel will address relevant legal issues and use real life examples through three specially selected DLT cases. Further, the panelists will discuss emerging trends that will shape the next generation of decentralized business models and applications, and the impact of these technologies on and within the legal profession.
General Registration Fee
Required for in-person attendees.
| NYSBA Members | $215 |
| Non-members | $300 |
+plus…
FREE Program Registration
Agenda
Blockchain Beyond Crypto
Saturday, January 21, 2023
2.0 MCLE Credits
2.0 Areas of Professional Practice
This program is transitional and is suitable for all attorneys
including those newly admitted.
10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Welcome and Introductions
Jackie J. Drohan, Esq. Dana V. Syracuse, Esq.
Speaker
Sherry Levin Wallach, Esq. | President, New York State Bar Association; The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County; White Plains, NY
Jackie J. Drohan, Esq. | Co-Chair, Task Force on Emerging Digital Finance and Currency; Drohan Lee LLP; New York, NY
Dana V. Syracuse, Esq. | Co-Chair, Task Force on Emerging Digital Finance and Currency; Perkins Coie LLP; New York, NY
10:10 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.
Overview – What is Blockchain and How Does Blockchain Work?
This introductory segment will provide a legal overview of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and blockchain, which is a specific application of DLT, and will cover the main characteristics of DLTs, including the use of smart contracts and cryptography, and hint some applications of the technology.
Moderator
David Casz Schechtman, Esq. | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; São Paulo, Brazil
0.5 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice10:35 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
NFTS in Real Estate
Non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) became largely associated with purchasing some sort of ownership over digital artworks. NFTs, however, can be applied in many other ways. This segment will survey what NFTs are and how they can be applied in the context of actual physical real estate.
Speaker
David J. Reiss, Esq. | Brooklyn Law School; Brooklyn, NY
0.5 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice11:00 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.
Cities, Web3, & The Metaverse
An in-depth analysis of how Reno, Nevada leveraged blockchain technology to create a new and aspirational tourism platform, plus a Public Art Fund.
Speaker
Marc Beckman, Esq. | DMA United / NYU Stern; New York, NY
Nancy Chanin, Esq. | DMA United; New York, NY
Sherry Levin Wallach, Esq. | President, New York State Bar Association The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County White Plains, NY
0.5 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice11:25 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Decentralized Communities and Digital Identity
DLT may also be used to facilitate building communities, for example, as social network identities. These DLT communities, in true decentralized fashion, allow for their members to port themselves from platform to platform, taking their followers and other data; the network does not become a centralized owner of the information.
Speaker
Alfred David Steiner, Esq. | Meister & Steiner PLLC; New York, NY
0.5 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice