Crypto Lawyers Andrew Hinkes, Justin Wales Join Fintech Practice at Miami’s K&L Gates

The crypto industry has grown to a point where lawyers representing businesses in the sector must tap an increasing number of global resources, said Andrew Hinkes, a prominent lawyer in the space.

Hinkes and a colleague, Justin Wales, have joined global law firm K&L Gates, after a combined 11 years as counsel at Carlton Fields, a smaller, U.S.-based law firm with offices in several states.

The two will join K&L as partners in the firm’s well-established fintech practice. 

According to Hinkes, the move is about gaining access to resources that only a global law firm can provide. Crypto payments and blockchain technology are borderless, and Hinkes found his clients had increasingly complex needs that required input from lawyers familiar with law in Asia, Europe and beyond.

The move to K&L Gates will allow the two to bring their specialized knowledge in what Wales calls the “sci-fi areas of law” to a firm that has the resources and name recognition to allow them to further develop their practice.

“The people we represent are really stoked about having our level of expertise in the industry backed up by a firm that is well-known and large as K&L Gates,” said Wales.