Named experts · Practitioner profile
About Stephen
Stephen Palley is a litigation partner at Brown Rudnick in Washington, D.C., where he leads the firm's Digital Commerce group. He joined in 2022 from Anderson Kill, together with Matthew Richardson, Preston Byrne and Hailey Lennon. His practice covers crypto-asset litigation, regulatory disputes and transactional work for blockchain companies, and he has served as outside general counsel to crypto firms. He writes and is widely quoted on legal questions raised by blockchain technology.
Practice fields
Credentials
- Partner, Brown Rudnick — Digital Commerce group
- Previously Partner, Anderson Kill (to 2022)
- Fellow, American College of Coverage Lawyers
Jurisdictions
Sources
Every entry on this page is sourced from public records. The references below are the evidence base for the practitioner's expertise claims.
- Brown Rudnick — Stephen D. Palley partner profile (chair of the Digital Commerce group; joined from Anderson Kill in 2022) — firm bio
- Anderson Kill — Cryptocurrency SEC enforcement action demonstrates need for safe harbor (Palley as head of the firm technology practice, Sep 2020) — publication
- The Block — A Conversation with Stephen Palley, Partner at Anderson Kill (crypto litigation, May 2019) — industry press
Relevant guides
Knowledge-base coverage that overlaps with Stephen's practice (United States · Non-EU crypto, Market abuse, Token classification).
MiCA scope edges · DeFi · staking · DLT Pilot · Article 60 · reverse solicitation · MiFID II line
The Edges of MiCA Scope 2026 — DeFi, Staking, DLT Pilot, Article 60, Reverse Solicitation
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MiCA · CASP operations & lifecycle
CASP Operations and Lifecycle 2026 — MiCA Passport, Banking, Wind-Down
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Crypto custody licence · Comparison
Crypto Custody Licence: Jurisdictions Compared (2026)
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Crypto exchange licence · Comparison
Crypto Exchange License: Jurisdictions Compared (2026)
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Qualifying holdings · CASP acquisitions
Qualifying Holdings Acquisitions 2026 — MiCA CASP Guide
MiCA Articles 83 and 84 govern notification and assessment of any acquisition of a qualifying holding in a CASP, and of increases past 20%, …
Crypto custody · Segregation rules
Crypto Custody Segregation Rules — MiCA Practitioner Guide
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