Tom Davis, a former FBI Special Agent and fraud prevention and AML/KYC compliance professional, just lately joined Coinme as their very first general counsel. He shares why he joined this startup and his hopes for how to make an impact as this new typical of banking evolves.
CCBJ: Can you give us a little little bit on your background and what brought you into the lawful room?
Tom Davis: I’ve been a licensed lawyer for in excess of 27 a long time. I’m probably a single of the handful of attorneys in the United States that’s certified in Washington, Oregon, and Alabama. 27 many years back, I was performing as a trial legal professional for a regulation firm in Alabama when I was recruited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At that time, they had been very interested in lawyers turning out to be specific agents, which is anything I’d usually wished to do for all the normal explanations. Soon after a really lengthy software approach, as I’m sure you can envision, I was assigned to get the job done for a white-collar squad in Seattle. Which is how I moved out west.
Since that time, I’ve parlayed my early litigation and investigation experience into non-classic authorized positions. I knew early on I wasn’t lower out to be a traditional lawyer. What I was interested in was internal investigations. Corporate malfeasance, embezzlement, things that were being happening inside of really big corporations that expected attention. The Big 4 accounting companies were being quite interested in my form of qualifications since tales like Enron have been popping up again in that working day. Extensive tale small, I was at KPMG and Grant Thornton and then as a companion at Moss Adams, exactly where I led nationwide litigation, forensic and investigation procedures.
Even with all the schooling I’d obtained and the different attention-grabbing engagements I’d been concerned in, I did want to return to a lawful position, but I preferred to do it in-property, as a typical counsel. I became a company counsel for a Seattle startup referred to as Airbiquity and at some point became its common counsel. I was there for about 10 many years. Significantly like Coinme, I was the company’s initial in-house lawful source. Airbiquity was the to start with technologies supplier that allowed cars and trucks to talk to get in touch with middle like OnStar. Airbiquity was one of the very first that enabled telematics conversation know-how.
I had a pair of exciting jobs after that, all of which prepared me for my recent occupation. One was vice president of functions and fraud avoidance at Garden Town Group (GCG) due to the fact obtained by Epiq legal solutions. GCG was the world’s greatest third-celebration administrator of funds motion settlements, so aspect of my occupation, in addition to managing certain conditions, was fraud prevention, which can be very major in the class motion environment. Imagine about all the course motion notices you get as a purchaser and how that could be leveraged by fraudsters. I also ran the anti-funds laundering method at GCG to check suspicious or unlawful transactions. From there I went to IBM, wherever I put in six a long time in fraud prevention and AML solutions for some of the best banking companies in the earth. That practical experience led me to Coinme. Where by I’m leveraging my track record as an in-property resource, but also, relative to cryptocurrency exchange, my expertise with compliance, cash laundering, and fraud avoidance, specifically.
What drew you to Coinme? How do you see your self supporting gas the good results of this small business?
In my wanting to get back again to a purely legal position, there have been some bins that I preferred to test. 1 is I desired a startup atmosphere because I missed the exhilaration of that and getting a aspect of issues at the floor amount. Whilst Coinme isn’t definitely a startup (it is been all around due to the fact 2014), I like the actuality that it has a incredibly proven ATM network. Our partnerships with Coinstar and MoneyGram, are currently extremely experienced. I preferred the simple fact that the meter’s presently working listed here.
What also captivated me to Coinme is my desire, from an expense standpoint, in cryptocurrency. The tale powering it, and especially around Bitcoin, is really interesting. But irrespective of one’s emotions about crypto, or its viability, long term, or economics, what I like about Coinme is that it is developing income even though we rest. Suitable now, it is cash-centric, while we are going to digital plays in the foreseeable future below really immediately). It established a platform for the unbanked, the folks that are not able to get lender accounts. Coinme features them a basis to do banking via hard cash. So I like our business model and that it can make crypto obtainable to every person.
What troubles do you anticipate in this new job, and as this aspect of banking matures?
There are going to be some one of a kind worries. I signify, very first, simply because of its “startup” component, and I use startup in estimates based mostly on my previous response. I do not see anything at all exclusive to Coinme as much as startups. But startups frequently are transferring at a thousand miles an hour these times and placing out the brush fires that are in front of you and then, as the business matures, bringing in normal counsel to make a compliance framework that addresses points right before they come to be brush fires.
Which is what I’m accomplishing conference with all the office heads, understanding how they are working, what are their guidelines and procedures—from compliance to operations to marketing to profits. Then, dovetailing how we’re now doing items with what I know to be the suitable way to do matters in a lawfully compliant fashion. I’m giving adjustments at a macro amount and thus far every person is really open to that. And in the process, I’m understanding a great deal about the operations of Coinme.
Secondly is the cryptocurrency element and, far more especially, our licenses to be a cryptocurrency trade. I imply, that is a seriously regulated surroundings and earning guaranteed our licenses are up to snuff and our exams are thoroughly clean and the regulators know and recognize what we’re performing. That is a substantial portion of my work as general counsel. A person of the largest objectives I experienced in coming in in this article was to create an great, clear romance with compliance. When I arrived, we did not have a CCO. We experienced an interim CCO who was undertaking a great job, but a single of the bins I really wanted to verify was assisting bring in a good experienced CCO, which we have done.
In point, our new CCO, Brian Reisbeck, starts today. I haven’t inundated him yet with the 22 things he and I need to have to converse about, but just getting a new CCO in put was a major box to look at. I’m promptly far more comfy understanding that our compliance group is directed in an correct method. Past the GC 101 things, there’s the crypto stuff. Our trajectory is skyrocketing and a substantial part of why I have been introduced in is to assist spearhead some pretty crucial strategic commercial promotions and partnerships that are heading to make it possible for our continued advancement and good results. I’m pretty fired up about individuals styles of conversations and permitting the globe know about some other issues that Coinme’s going to be carrying out in the foreseeable future. I’m a occupied boy.
Are there parallels to online betting, yet another current market that is expected to grow in the foreseeable future?
On the net betting is going to be substantial. It’s pretty considerably brand new I signify two, three yrs in the past, it by no means even existed as a legalized perform in most states. Now it’s lawful in numerous states. How on the internet betting functions, and the protocols affiliated with it have to be explained to regulators. The exact same goes for crypto kiosks. How several ATMs are out there in which you can get Bitcoin? Not pretty lots of. We’re having to describe how it will work and the controls we have in put. Fortuitously, we have outstanding companions in Coinstar and MoneyGram. They’re similarly up to the undertaking of generating sure this is managed in a purchaser-pleasant way. So considerably like on the net gaming, we’re doing a little bit of instruction for the regulators.
You have your new CCO. What other crucial features do you envision for the Authorized and Compliance Departments?
It is heading to count on what we’re accomplishing as far as productization likely ahead. Appropriate now, we’re strictly cash-to-crypto. But as we go to comprehensive digital purchasing and offering of assets, which is heading to require a entire new playbook for both equally Lawful and Compliance. Brian and I are mainly beginning at the exact time. We recognize the solution roadmaps going ahead and we’re going to be advising on that. New merchandise will need to be rolled out in a compliant and customer-helpful way. I’m also functioning on – and we’ll have to have to get Brian quickly up to speed listed here – on our advertising and our Google ads and our T&Cs making confident that they are crisp and distinct and adhere to all FTC guidelines concerning how we converse with our shoppers and opportunity customers.