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Michael Mix

Partner
Michael Mix's headshot
Michael Mix Partner

Michael Mix focuses his practice on cryptocurrency, blockchain, web3 and digital assets law. He represents individuals and entities in cutting edge litigation in this sector, often involving issues of first impression, and provides advice to ensure compliance with the law.

Michael has experience navigating the intersection between emerging technology like digital assets and more established areas of law. Michael has litigated and arbitrated: cryptocurrency lending, trading and derivative disputes; securities class actions involving cryptocurrencies; litigation involving the disputed ownership of cryptocurrency; digital assets startup and co-founder disputes; and cryptocurrency bankruptcy disputes. Michael has represented defendants in several high-profile, newsworthy digital assets litigation, including: the FTX Multidistrict Litigation proceeding pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida; putative class actions pending in the Northern District of California regarding the COMP and LDO tokens; a putative class action in the Southern District of New York concerning the Uniswap protocol; and the FTX and Celsius bankruptcies.

Michael has filed several important amicus briefs on behalf of firm clients in landmark digital assets cases, including the SEC’s actions against Ripple and Wahi, the NYAG’s action against KuCoin and multiple affirmative litigations brought against the SEC by industry participants. Certain of those amicus briefs detailed how court rulings in enforcement actions that are not narrowly tailored could have negative consequences for the digital asset and blockchain industry at large.

Michael writes frequently on current law issues and is a thought leader in the cryptocurrency space. He co-authored an article in LegalTech News concerning the availability of a motion for summary judgment in lieu of complaint when the underlying obligation is denominated in cryptocurrency, as well as an article in New York Law Journal exploring the unanswered question of whether victorious plaintiffs may receive a judgment in cryptocurrency rather than fiat currency. He also wrote an article in LegalTech News providing a roadmap for lawyers to follow when entering into a settlement agreement where one party makes a settlement payment denominated in cryptocurrency. Michael has taught multiple CLEs on recent developments in cryptocurrency litigation and regulatory enforcement. Michael is a co-author of the Morrison Cohen Cryptocurrency Litigation Tracker.

Prior to joining Morrison Cohen in 2016, Michael was a litigation associate at Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, where he focused on complex commercial litigation and arbitration.  

Experience

  • a leading DeFi foundation in a class action over purported wrongdoing involving a decentralized protocol
  • developers and a technology company in a putative class action claiming that a particular token is a security
  • a crypto VC in another putative class action claiming a particular token is a security
  • a software company and a crypto VC in a putative class action alleging violations of a New York statute prohibiting unlicensed lotteries
  • a cryptocurrency trading company in an arbitration with a counterparty over a failure to settle Bitcoin trades
  • a cryptocurrency trading company in a litigation with a counterparty over a failure to settle crypto derivative trades
  • an investor in a putative class action concerning the FTX collapse
  • a foundation in litigation with an individual who exploited a bug to extract value from the protocol
  • a cryptocurrency mining consultant in litigation concerning a cryptocurrency mining venture and the ownership of disputed mining rigs
  • a Seventh Circuit appeal concerning the issue of whether certain cryptocurrencies are commodities under the Commodity Exchange Act
  • a gallery and multiple individuals in litigation alleging fraud and other torts in connection with a series of NFTs
  • a major blockchain industry advocacy organizations and a crypto VC in filing amicus briefs in multiple significant cases
  • multiple bankruptcy adversary proceedings brought by the FTX estate
  • multiple bankruptcy adversary proceedings brought by the Celsius estate

Professional Activities

American Bar Association
New York State Bar Association

Recognition

NYU School of Law
     Articles Editor, Annual Survey of American Law
     Editor-in-Chief, The Commentator

Michael Mix's headshot

Education

  • New York University School of Law, J.D.
  • Cornell University, B.A.

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Media & Insights