SEDA Digest: Bridging Virtual Asset Service Providers and Traditional Finance, Expert Testimony on FINRA Licensing, and New International Tax, Accounting & Transactions Experts

SEDA Experts
12 hours ago
3 min read

October 2025

Welcome to the monthly digest from SEDA Experts — your premier source for elite expert witnesses specializing in financial services. Below, you’ll find exclusive insights from our firm leaders, case updates, the latest news on our experts, and introductions to the newest additions to our ever-growing roster of accomplished practitioners.

INSIGHTS

The Critical Relationship Between Virtual Asset Service Providers and Traditional Financial Institutions

With over three decades of regulatory and financial oversight experience, Kenneth Simmons explores how Virtual Asset Service Providers and traditional banks are learning to work together under growing supervisory demands.

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CASE UPDATES

SEDA Expert Provides Decisive Testimony on FINRA Licensing in Securities Dispute

SEDA Expert Robert Mass was retained to provide his expert opinion on FINRA licensing requirements in connection with investment banking services performed in a private placement transaction.

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EXPERTS IN THE NEWS

Kathryn Porter was recently interviewed on the Triggernometry podcast in the episode This Isn’t Science, It’s Ideology, discussing UK energy prices, electricity generation, renewables, government policy, and future political challenges.

Gary DeWaal was interviewed at the RiskMathics Financial Institute’s annual Risk Management and Trading conference, where he discussed the potential regulation of AI and quantum technologies in financial services.

Edward Baker coauthored the paper Factors Motivating the Institutionalization of Cryptocurrencies, published in the Journal of Investment Consulting.

Craig Coben, in his latest Coben the Contrarian column for GlobalCapital, examines what investment banks and their clients will lose in the AI revolution.

Debbie Bigman moderated a panel at the 100 Women in Finance event “Mentorship Mindset: Finding and Sustaining It at Every Career Stage,” discussing research and best practices in effective mentorship, and how to best apply them in financial services.

Dr. Willem H. Buiter, contributes to the September 2025 English edition of the Financial and Economic Review with his paper “Seven Issues Facing Central Banks Today.”

Dawn Stump participated in the 2025 FIA Commodities Conference to discuss developments in commodity markets and policy.

Avinash Persaud, in the latest episode of his Power & Planet podcast, explores the potential and limits of debt swaps and proposes a multi-guarantor debt-for-resilience facility to support fiscally constrained countries.

NEW HIRES

SEDA Launches International Tax, Accounting and Transactions practice. We are excited to introduce:

Marc Skaletsky is a seasoned accounting, finance, and international tax professional with nearly five decades of experience. Known for his expertise in international tax, he has led complex mergers and acquisitions across industries while advancing tax compliance, technology innovation, client relationships, and strategic initiatives.

Michael Biehl is the former Vice Chair and CFO of KPMG and a recognized authority in taxation and private equity. With over 30 years of leadership experience, he has advised global businesses and executive teams on complex transformations, cross-border M&A transactions, and strategic growth initiatives.

Eric Jacobs is a recognized expert in risk management, financial operations, and investment oversight, with nearly 30 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry. His career spans top-tier institutions on both the buy-side and sell-side, including alternative asset management, investment banking, and public accounting.

Martyn Till is a retired senior tax advisor with extensive experience in the UK and international tax landscape, having spent most of his 30-year career at KPMG LLP as a Corporate Tax Advisor. He specializes in the tax aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions, cross-border transactions, and mid-market Private Equity transactions.