Brian Klein

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Representative Matters

• Achieved a decisive victory for their Korean-based video game developer clients. On November 12, 2024, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge agreed with Waymaker that the Court did not have personal jurisdiction over any of the defendants and dismissed all claims against them. All claims involved alleged securities violations. The case is Sunwoo Lee, et al. v. Com2uS Holdings, et al.
• Representing Frances Haugen, the “Facebook Whistleblower,” including appearing with her when she testified before the U.S. Senate.
• Defended the alleged Capitol One hacker Paige Thompson (which involved one of the largest purported data breaches in history), obtaining acquittals at trial for her on the counts requiring prison time and a no prison time sentence in the face of the Seattle federal prosecutors asking for a seven-year prison sentence.
• Secured a declination to prosecute for a construction company CEO in a public corruption investigation conducted by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles.
• Defended Arthur and Kathleen Breitman, as well as their company, in connection with securities class action lawsuits in San Francisco involving the Tezos crowdfunding, which raised over $230 million.
• Represented Block.one in connection with its settlement with the SEC in which it paid a $24 million penalty in connection with its $4 billion token sale.
• Defended Marcus Hutchins, who is known worldwide for stopping the “WannaCry” ransomware attack in May 2017, in a federal prosecution out of Milwaukee for cybercrimes from his youth. Marcus pleaded guilty, was sentenced to no prison time, and without precedent, the district court encouraged him to seek a pardon.
• Represented Kraken in connection with its settlement with the SEC regarding its staking program.
• Defended a digital currency trader in federal court in Colorado against an unlicensed money transmitter criminal charge, securing dismissal of the case before trial.
• Obtained a complete acquittal at a jury trial in New York City for a boxer charged with assault with a deadly weapon in state court.
• Secured a no action letter from the SEC in connection with a years long investigation of a major digital token offering.
• Successfully handled the defense of Cesar Millan (the “Dog Whisperer”) when the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control and District Attorney’s Office investigated allegations of animal abuse tied to one of Mr. Millan’s television shows. The authorities ultimately concluded Mr. Millan did nothing wrong and did not bring any charges.
• Obtained a declination to bring charges for a client from federal prosecutors in San Diego in a money laundering-related case.
• Represented Erik Voorhees, a prominent early Bitcoin adopter, in his settlement with the SEC in an investigation.
• Secured from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office a declination to charge a high-profile client accused of sexual assault by someone the client met on a dating app.
• Represented a film production company in a Los Angeles-based federal action to enforce trademark rights that resulted in a settlement favorable to the client.
• Defended a digital currency company in a state securities division investigation based out of the Midwest (no enforcement action was brought).
• Represented a U.S.-based technology company in a contract dispute with an Australian entertainment company that resulted in a settlement favorable to the client.
• Successfully defended a hazardous waste cleanup company facing multiple California state criminal charges, securing dismissal of all charges before trial.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association
• National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Benchmark Litigation Star 2025
  
• Super Lawyer 2025