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One of Facebook's top lawyers just jumped ship to join bitcoin startup Coinbase (FB)

  • Facebook deputy general counsel Paul Grewal is joining Coinbase.
  • Grewal was one of Facebook's top lawyers, working on commercial, regulatory, and employment issues, as well as the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
  • He's leaving to become Coinbase's new chief legal officer.

One of Facebook's top lawyers is leaving the company to join buzzy bitcoin startup Coinbase.

Paul Grewal, a vice president and deputy general counsel at the social networking giant, will become Coinbase's new general counsel.

In a blog post, Coinbase said that "Paul will oversee all legal functions of the global business and will manage the continuing growth of our best-in-class legal team. As part of our commitment to operating the world's leading regulated crypto business, Paul will also lead the team's continuing work to partner with financial services regulators, contribute to the development and rollout of innovative, regulated products and services, and support the company's global growth and regulatory strategy."

A Facebook spokesperson did not immediately comment.

Grewal was involved in the company's response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and focused on "Commercial, Regulatory, Competition, Employment, International, Ediscovery and Litigation," according to his LinkedIn profile. 

At one point in 2018, he was touted as a potential replacement to Facebook's outgoing general counsel, Colin Stretch — but that role ultimately went to former US State Department legal adviser Jennifer Newstead

Grewal was at Facebook for more than four years, first joining in June 2016. He was previously a magistrate judge in California for nearly six years, a partner at Howrey LLP for a decade, and a clerk at the federal court of appeals. He studied at MIT, and then Chicago Law School. 

Bloomberg Law reported in February 2020 that Coinbase was on a "legal hiring binge," snapping up senior talent from American Express, crypto company Kraken, and law firm Baker McKenzie. In March, Coinbase's chief legal officer Brian Brooks left to join the US Office of the Comptroller of Currency, CoinDesk reported at the time

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