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“Ashley is terrific.”
Crypto-Assets Dispute client, as told to Chambers.
Photo of Ashley Martabano

A member of Waymaker’s Crypto-Assets Disputes, Fintech, and White Collar practices, Ashley Martabano excels at understanding her client’s businesses, understanding their legal challenges, and communicating “to clients in a way that is helpful, practical and clear.” (Crypto-Assets Dispute client, as told to Chambers.) In 2024, Ashley was ranked as an “Up and Coming” practitioner in Waymaker’s Band-1 Ranked Crypto Assets Disputes practice.

Ashley has extensive experience in representing FinTech and other clients in regulatory, criminal and civil matters. She is adept at understanding new technology and has represented entrepreneurs, companies, and early adopters in all types of criminal and regulatory defense matters (such as SEC, DOJ, CFTC, and state attorney generals), as well as in civil litigation. She also has extensive experience in RICO matters, off-label pharmaceutical investigations, False Claims Act cases, and FCPA matters.

Ashley began her career at Quinn Emanuel handling complex civil and criminal matters, and briefly served as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles through the TAP program where she handled both preliminary hearings and a jury trial in state court. Before beginning her practice in the US, Ashley spent a year in South Africa litigating constitutional women’s rights as a Harvard Henigson Human Rights Fellow with the Women’s Legal Centre.

  • One of the lead trial lawyers for Roman Storm, a developer of the Tornado Cash protocol, in a high profile month-long criminal case in the SDNY alleging money laundering and sanctions violations.  Presenting issues of first impression concerning First Amendment rights to code and the extent of criminal liability over software, the Waymaker team achieved a mistrial on the most serious violations.  Matter is ongoing.
  • Represent Payward Inc. and Payward Ventures, Inc. (collectively, “Kraken”) against the SEC’s complaint that Kraken is an unregistered securities exchange, broker-dealer and clearing house, in a groundbreaking matter that will shape the cryptocurrency industry in the U.S. for years to come.
  • Represented Avraham Eisenberg in SDNY criminal trial alleging wire fraud and commodities fraud against Eisenberg for crypto swap trading involving the Mango Markets protocol, ultimately securing a post-trial dismissal of all counts.
  • 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.
  • Represented Kraken in SEC investigation and settlement involving staking-as-a-service program.
  • Represented Erik Voorhees, a prominent early Bitcoin adopter, in his settlement with the SEC in an investigation.
  • Represented plaintiff-restaurant in a contract dispute with commercial lessor, successfully obtaining summary adjudication in client’s favor on breach of contract claim and negotiating favorable settlement.

  • Chambers & Partners, USA, Crypto-Asset Disputes, Up and Coming (2024)

  • Board of Directors, Mission Doctors Association

  • Panel Speaker, Consensus (2018)
  • Panel Speaker, Singapore Blockchain Summit (2018)

Education

  • Harvard Law School, J.D.
  • Princeton University, B.S., magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • New York

Court Admissions

  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Central District of California
  • Northern District of California
  • Southern District of New York