Neel Maitra is a corporate partner and member of the fintech and financial services group in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Neel advises clients on a range of securities matters, including unique concerns relating to the blockchain, crypto, and fintech industries. He is an expert on the complex and fast-evolving regulatory landscape of crypto assets and other cutting-edge financial technologies.

Prior to joining the firm, Neel was a senior special counsel and the crypto specialist in the Division of Trading and Markets at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Neel became one of the agency’s key experts on a range of crypto issues and developments, including initial coin offerings, broker-dealer regulation of crypto asset companies, crypto-based exchange traded funds and private funds, decentralized finance (DeFi), and innovative trading platforms.

During his time at the firm, Neel has worked on a range of matters, including:

• Bakkt’s purchase of Apex Crypto, a turnkey platform for integrated crypto trading
• Advising a multinational corporation on the design and establishment of an innovative early-stage private fund program
• Advising a large venture capital fund on various investments in start-up companies involved in the fintech space
• Advising a large venture capital fund on custody issues relating to crypto assets
• Advising on SEC and FINRA matters relating to the acquisition of multiple broker-dealers and alternative trading systems
• Advising various issuers on U.S. securities matters arising from the issuance of gaming, social media and other tokens and crypto assets
• Advising a fintech company on structuring and establishing an embedded finance program